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Pakistan released 46 Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) prisoners with an aim of a permanent ceasefire and peace agreement with the banned group.
Journalist at Radio Free Europe, Daud Khattak, in his tweet said that the release of the 46 TTP prisoners came as a result of the efforts of the tribal Jirga that first met the Taliban leadership in Paktika province on January 9-10 and then again in Khost province of Afghanistan on February 17-18. He further, in his tweet, said that the Haqqani Network leader and Taliban Interior Minister Siraj Haqqani played important role in breaking the ice. "TTP confirmed the release of their 46 prisoners, but say they want release of 102 men, which also include leaders of Swat Taliban & only then will think of ceasefire," he wrote. The journalist informed that the Pakistani authorities have not commented so far, but sources say more TTP prisoners will be free in the next 3-4 days, including some key members of the Swat Taliban or men like Latif Mehsud. "TTP is so far watching and had slowed down its attacks in Pakistan," said Khattak. A U.N. Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team report say that between 3,000 and 5,000 fighters of the TTP are still active in Afghanistan. Moreover, Pakistan's recently released National Security Policy has failed in its mandate to tackle non-traditional security threats. It fails to address the core issue of how Islamabad will eradicate extremism and radicalization, reported the magazine. Islamabad-based security expert Muhammad Wali says that the Afghan economy is on the verge of collapse, and the country is still believed to be a haven for different terrorist outfits. He said that all these developments in Afghanistan should be a reason of concern for Pakistan as well. (ANI)
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