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The Afghan Taliban on Saturday confirmed that the negotiation between Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Pakistani government has concluded with an agreement on an indefinite ceasefire.
"I believe the two sides have noticed it. It is in the best interest of both sides to move forward sincerely to achieve the peace goal, " Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said in an email response to questions from a group of Pakistani journalists, The Express Tribune reported. He said, "Wars and violence, he said, not only bring human, social, and economic losses but also invite foreign intervention." The Afghan official said that the Islamic Emirates played the role of mediator and he expects the talks between the two sides to bring long-term peace and reconciliation between the two sides. While responding to questions about the conditions the two sides have set for permanent peace, Mujahid said, "We have got nothing to do with it. This is an issue between the two sides. We don't want to get involved. Our only desire is that both sides show flexibility and move forward with sincerity in order to extend the ongoing ceasefire and continue to cease attacks." According to The Express Tribune, Mujahid said that in case the talks fail, then the Islamic outfit would not allow the Afghan soil to be used for attacks against Pakistan. Mujahid said that in case the talks fail, then the Islamic outfit will not allow anyone to use Afghanistan's soil for attacks against Pakistan. He confirmed that a delegation of Pakistani tribal leaders recently visited Kabul in connection with the ongoing peace talks and the visit helped in extending the ceasefire. Mujahid expressed Afghan Taliban's interest in maintaining friendly relations with the US. He said, "It's better for the US and all other countries to realise that a political give-and-take with us is in everyone's interest," adding, "the "war weather" has passed, the Taliban want "friendly" relations with the US," The Express Tribune reported. Pakistan government and TTP have been holding peace talks for a long time to negotiate on permanently halting cross-border attacks from Afghanistan. It was reported that in response to the demands of the TTP, Islamabad has already agreed to release hundreds of detained and convicted TTP members and withdraw court cases against them. Notably, the banned TTP formally announced an indefinite ceasefire with Pakistan following two days of talks with a grand tribal jirga in Kabul this month, with a major condition of reversal of the merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to cut any peace deal with Pakistan. The 57-member jirga of tribal elders, politicians, and parliamentarians met with senior TTP leaders at Kabul's Inter-Continental Hotel for two days and held discussions over demands for a peace effort between Pakistan and the proscribed terror outfit TTP. (ANI)
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