There is ambiguity over the questions whether there would be a direct military engagement in the ongoing talks with the Taliban subsequent to the government's decision to hold direct but secret dialogue with the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to reach a negotiated peace deal. Spearheaded by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the proposed committee, which is yet to be constituted, will work under the supervision of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
However, sources privy to the development said that after the Pakistan military expressed its reservations on directly participating in the negotiations, the process may be delayed till a firm decision is taken on the negotiation team's composition. The role of the four-member committee headed by Prime Minister's special assistant Irfan Siddiqui has come to an end; yet sources revealed that the government-nominated team along with their counterparts from Taliban side would continue to engage through backdoor channels.
A spokesperson for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) provincial government told Business Recorder that the provincial government would appoint its representative for the committee as soon as the federal government formally approached it. He said that the provincial government, which is a direct stakeholder, was continuously in touch with the federal government on the dialogue process; however he acknowledged that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had not yet been contacted following the federal government's decision to hold direct negotiations with the Taliban.
Pakistan ex-Servicemen Association, when contacted by Business Recorder, categorically stated that the military should not be involved in such a dialogue with the militants. Brig Masood (Retd), general secretary PESA, however, said that military could be consulted on issues relating to ceasefire, operations, or releasing TTP members held by the military but other demands like imposition of Sharia came under the domain of the political government.
An intelligence official, currently involved with counter-terrorism operations, talking on condition of anonymity, said the security forces had already called off targeted operations in different parts of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) in compliance with the government's decision to hold talks with militants.
"A ceasefire is in place and it would not be violated from our side. But if other side takes liberty, things would be different. Every form of direct aggression would attract repercussions," he warned. Another retired army official said the Taliban committee's demand to hold talks with the military was a shrewd move as this would have enabled the TTP, a non-state actor, to earn legitimacy.
Sources pointed out that that subsequent to the killing of Hakimullah Mehsud, former TTP chief, the Taliban belonging to the Mehsud tribe consider Khan Said Sajna as their leader instead of the current TTP chief Molvi Fazalullah who was earlier the TTP Swat chapter chief. This splintering may make the negotiation process more challenging. Sources added that the JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who is supportive of the Mehsud tribe, however, was sidelined following Maj Mohammad Amir (Retd) and Maulana Samiul Haq's entry as part of the negotiation team from the government and the Taliban side respectively with close links to Moulvi Fazllullah.