Pakistan agrees one-month 'complete ceasefire' with local Taliban militants

Dr. Jassim Taqui

DG Al-Bab Institute for Strategic Studies

Islamabad, November 9,  2021: Pakistan and local Taliban militants have agreed on a one-month ceasefire which may be extended if both sides agree, spokesmen said on Monday, opening the possibility of a fuller peace accord to help end years of bloodshed.

There have been numerous failed attempts to reach peace agreements in the past. The latest talks were opened following the victory of the Afghan Taliban in August and the two sides have been meeting across the border in Afghanistan, with the aid of Afghan Taliban leaders.

The TTP has killed thousands of military personnel and civilians over the years in bombings and suicide attacks.

Among its attacks was a 2014 assault on a military-run school in Peshawar, near the border with Afghanistan, which killed 149 people including 132 children.

The TTP, which sources said had been demanding the release of several prisoners as a condition for full ceasefire negotiations, said it was "ready for a dialogue that will lead to lasting peace in the country".

It said the ceasefire would come into force from Tuesday and last until Dec. 9 and could be extended if both sides agreed. Special committees had been set up to try to map out the negotiation process.

The agreement comes days after the government in Islamabad reached an accord with another militant group Tehrik-e-Labaik Pakistan or TLP, after weeks of violent clashes. 

The TTP, which is on a U.S. State Department list of foreign terrorist organizations, has carried out a brutal campaign of oppression in tribal districts along the Afghan-Pakistan border, including public floggings and executions to enforce its harsh version of Sharia.

The group was badly weakened by Pakistan military offensives which drove it from its stronghold in the tribal districts but it is estimated to control some 4,000-5,000 fighters, many based across the border in Afghanistan.