Pakistan in talks with banned TTP for reconciliation

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said the government is in talks with some groups of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), seeking a reconciliation, the Dawn reported.
"There are different groups which form the TTP and some of them want to talk to our government for peace. So, we are in talks with them. It's a reconciliation process," Khan said during an interview with the TRT World.

When asked if the government is asking them to lay down arms, the Prime Minister responded: "Yes, we forgive them and they become normal citizens."

When asked why the TTP was carrying out attacks on Pakistani security forces when they were in talks with the government, Khan said it was just a "spate of attacks".

"We might not reach some sort of conclusion or settlement in the end, but we are talking," he added.

Responding to another query on whether the Afghan Taliban were acting as mediators between the TTP and Pakistan, Khan said: "Since the talks were taking place in Afghanistan, so in that sense, yes," the report added - IANS