Security forces have offered tribal jirgas options for negotiations with the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), reportedly mingling with civilians in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Bajaur.

 

According to The News, the first option for the tribal jirgas is that the Khawarij leave Bajaur; the second is that the tribes vacate the area to allow an operation to eliminate them.

 

Citing security sources, the report said government-level talks with the Khawarij and their facilitators have been rejected, with officials insisting there will be no negotiations until they fully submit to the state.

 

The report added that deliberate attempts are being made to blur the differences between the tribes and the Khawarij in Bajaur, though the ground realities are different. The Khawarij are allegedly using negotiations as a smokescreen to prepare for war, living among civilians while committing terrorist and criminal acts.

 

Meanwhile, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, along with security officials, has presented three points to the tribes:

 

These Khawarij, most of whom are Afghan natioanls, should be expelled from the area.

 

If the tribes cannot expel the Khawarij themselves, they should vacate the area for one or two days so that security forces can bring them to their end.

 

If both these steps are not possible, maximum efforts will be made to avoid harm to ordinary citizens, because the operation against terrorists will continue in any case.

 

The outlet quoted security sources as saying it has been made clear that only the state holds the authority to carry out any armed action. They added that Pakistan witnessed 600 terrorist attacks in 2024, all with financial and operational support from the Afghan Taliban.