Pakistani tribal leaders arrive in Kabul for ongoing talks with TTP leaders

KABUL: Pakistani tribal elders have arrived in the Afghan capital as peace efforts between the Pakistani government and the banned terror outfit TTP are underway.

A total of 53 elders from different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa arrived in Kabul on Wednesday morning to mediate negotiations amid the recent ceasefire.

Some reports suggest that TTP demanded the Pakistani government to reverse the FATA merger. A two-page letter handed over to tribal members in Kabul said the merger is a major point of deadlock in recent ongoing negotiations between two sides.

Former governor of the northwestern region, Shaukatullah Khan, is part of the visiting members, called mediations significant in wake of tribal traditions that are respected by all men.

The development comes a week after another group from South Waziristan mediated between the two sides.

Earlier, Pakistani officials and members of the banned outfit expressed reservations over certain demands however they decided to extend the current ceasefire for an indefinite period.

Mufti Ghofran, Commander Zarar, and Omar Khalid Khorasani are representing the banned outfit while the Pakistani delegation comprises senior officials.

A report of the United Nations claimed that TTP benefitted most from the Afghan Taliban’s ascent to power in war-torn Afghanistan.