PESHAWAR: A Pakistani delegation of tribal elders flew to Kabul on Saturday to resume their negotiations with the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), reported the media, shortly after a contingent of local religious scholars returned from Afghanistan.
The TTP, which has carried out some of the bloodiest attacks inside Pakistan since 2007, is not directly affiliated with the Afghan Taliban, but the latter have been engaged in mediation between the group and the Pakistani government.
The Pakistani delegation comprising prominent religious clerics visited Afghanistan to push forward the ongoing peace process between Islamabad and the outlawed militant group.
It also held important meetings with officials of the Afghan Interim Government, telling Arab News the administration in Kabul was likely to reopen high schools for female students soon.
The tribal jirga, which went to Afghanistan on Saturday after the return of the Pakistani religious leaders from that country, previously visited Kabul in mid-June to move the peace talks forward with the TTP.
"Pakistan sent the 12-member jirga just a day after the return of the delegation of Pakistani ulema, headed by Mufti Taqi Usmani, who visited Afghanistan from July 25 to 29," reported Geo TV.
The tribal jirga was originally supposed to visit Kabul on Friday, but its plan was postponed for a day.
Former senator and tribal elder, Maulana Saleh Shah, who is part of the second Pakistani delegation, sounded optimistic about the outcome of the talks during a conversation with Arab News ahead of his Kabul visit.
"I'm more than optimistic that both sides will reach a peace deal," he said. "Both sides have disagreement on two points: the reversal of the merger between Pakistan's northwestern tribal territories and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and changing TTP's name after the agreement. However, I'm sure the jirga will help resolve these sticking points."
A few weeks before the visit of the tribal jirga to Afghanistan in June, Pakistani officials had also negotiated with the TTP, though the two sides failed to make a breakthrough.
However, their talks were mediated by the Afghan Taliban who asked the two sides to resort to indefinite ceasefire and iron out their differences through continued negotiations.