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In wake of surging extremist violence in Pakistan, the Shahbaz Sharif-led country's government has launched several operations to tackle it, among which the failed peace talks with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
According to the Pakistan government, the terrorists target security forces, state institutions, and civilians in the country. The Interior Ministry said that there have been 434 terrorist attacks in Pakistan within the last six months, The Nation reported. This comes in the backdrop of the peace talks with the TTP which has refused to budge from its hardline stance. The ongoing bid of TTP to enter the political mainstream in Pakistan may face obstruction as several experts feel that the outlawed group will harm and shrink the political space for citizens of the country. Islamabad agreed to hold fresh talks with the group under the auspices of the interim Taliban government in Afghanistan. A high-level military huddle in Pakistan has discussed "peace talks" with the banned TTP and decided to pursue the matter in accordance with a "comprehensive security strategy". Chaired by Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Nadeem Raza, the national security meeting was held on July 22. The Nation News said that the details of the report presented in the Upper House of parliament stated that the highest number of 247 terrorist attacks were recorded in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa followed by 171 in Balochistan, 12 in Sindh and one in Punjab province. The impact of such terrorist activities has disproportionately affected Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and a stalemate in peace talks, The Nation reported. Recently, at least six terrorists were killed in an exchange of fire in the district of Kech, as per Pakistani media. The Ulema delegation was unable to convince the TTP to halt attacks and hold peace talks as both sides were skeptical of one another. (ANI)
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