On and on it goes. We are at a stalemate. Both sides have called for ceasefire. The TTP has demanded for a direct meeting with the Prime Minister. Irfan Siddiqui has called for the terrorists to issue a public denouncement of all acts of terrorism. After a flurry of attacks all over the country while the process of negotiations was ongoing, we are still talking, because the Taliban have stated that they had nothing to do with the recent violence. The government’s negotiation committee recommends that we take their word for it, without any investigation into the matter, and continue with the dialogue.
The TTP and members of its negotiating committee claim that they have never heard of the group that calls itself Ahrar-ul-Hind, and the attack on the court in Islamabad was not orchestrated by our new best friends. But all it takes for a new terrorist group to spring up is some terrorists, weapons and of course, an attack that generates enough headlines for their name to be circulated all over the country. The members of this group might not belong to the TTP, but at some point in time they might have. And who is to say that these people are working alone? The weapons have to come from somewhere.
The 44 groups that we know about so far, are all linked inextricably. Some of them are not happy with the TTP’s decision to negotiate. We all know that forming splinter groups is second nature to the militants, and the divisive nature of their aims, beliefs and targets leads them to operate without any direct interference from the TTP council. The murder of Asmatullah Shaheen, and countless other higher-ups in the terrorist organization that have been killed in mysterious circumstances, with suspicions of in-fighting that are all but confirmed also show the lack of control on the part of the militant leadership. There’s still no point in doing this. No matter how far we think we are getting. For as long as even one group refuses to lay down its arms, this war is anything but over.