ISLAMABAD: A top leader of a proscribed militant network targeting Pakistani civilians and security forces has hinted at the possibility of continued talks with the government in a video message addressed to religious scholars of the country.
Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud is a senior leader of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a conglomerate of various armed factions, which has taken responsibility of recent militant attacks in different Pakistani cities.
Pakistan witnessed a surge in extremist violence since TTP leaders decided to unilaterally call off a fragile cease-fire with the government in November, though Mehsud denied in his video clip that the truce had broken down.
“We continued to negotiate with Pakistan for about a year in talks that were mediated by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and we are still open to cease-fire today,” he said. “Due to the cease-fire violations of Pakistani security forces, however, we allowed our mujahideen [freedom fighters] to launch retaliatory strikes.”
The TTP leadership is said to be based in Afghanistan, making Pakistani authorities remind the administration in Kabul in recent weeks it was their responsibility not to allow the Afghan territory to be used against neighboring states.
The country’s civilian and political leaders decided in a recent security meeting they would only negotiate with the Afghan interim administration, instead of TTP leadership, to address the problem of growing militant violence.
Mehsud also assured Pakistani religious scholars in the video that his group would listen to their advice if they thought its members had committed excesses while waging its armed struggle.
