Pakistan to not hold talks with TTP or any other terrorist group, says minister: Report

Pakistan's Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said on Tuesday (January 3) that his government will not hold talks with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or any other terrorist organisation. This comes as Pakistan has seen a series of deadly attacks by the TTP in recent times after the group ended a ceasefire with Islamabad.

According to a report by Geo News, Sanaullah said the above decision was taken in a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC). Sanaullah said that the Pakistani government had decided to share evidence with the Taliban administration (in Afghanistan) as terrorists based in Afghanistan were involved in terror activities in Pakistan.

He said that Afghanistan promised that its territory would not be used against any other country, and the Taliban administration would be asked to fulfil that promise, the report said.

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ALSO READ | Pakistan says will target TTP on Afghan soil, Taliban say would not let anyone attack Islamic Emirate

During the NSC meeting, army chief General Asim Munir categorically said that mixed messages should not be given on the issue of negotiations with terrorists, the narrative should be clear that there will be no negotiations with terrorists.

The Pakistani Interior Minister also said that talks will be held with the Taliban administration and pointed out that no Pakistani territory is under the control of terrorists.

ALSO WATCH |Pakistan-Taliban Clash: Taliban rubbishes Pak's claims of TTP hideouts in Afghanistan

Last week, Rana Sanaullah said that the government would target TTP hideouts in Afghanistan. "When these problems arise, we first ask Afghanistan, our Islamic brother nation, to eliminate these hideouts and hand over these individuals to us, but if that doesn`t happen, Islamabad will target these hideouts inside Afghanistan," Sanaullah told a news channel.

The Taliban sharply reacted to the Pakistani minister's remark by asking Islamabad to avoid baseless talks and provocative ideas.

"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan wants peaceful relations with all its neighbouring countries, including Pakistan and believes in all the ways that can lead to achieving this goal," Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement which was put out on Twitter. Mujahid said it was regrettable that Pakistan's officials were making false statements about Kabul. The spokesperson added that the Taliban was trying its best not to use the territory of Afghanistan against Pakistan or any other country.

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