PPP decides to take issue of talks with TTP to parliament.

ISLAMABAD -- Days after the outlawed Tehreek-i-TaliA!ban Pakistan (TTP) annoA!uA!nced an indefinite ceasefire, the PPP held a high-level meeting to discuss the issue of terrorism and talks with the TTP brokered by Afghanistan's Taliban administration.

The meeting, co-chaired by former president and chief of PPP Parliamenta-rians Asif Ali Zardari and PPP chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, agreed that all key decisions need to be taken by parliament.

In the first week of this month the banned TTP had formally announced an indefinite ceasefire with Pakistan following two days of talks with a grand tribal jirga in Kabul. The group has set a major condition of reversal of the merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to cut any peace deal with Pakistan.

A participant of the PPP meeting said a candid discussion was held on militancy, with a focus on possible implications of mainstreaming the TTP without taking parliament on board.

The meeting discussed questions like purpose of the entire exercise, the forces behind it and the desired objectives.

'PPP held a high level meeting to discuss issue of terrorism. Particularly in light of recent developments in Afghanistan, with the TTA and TTP. PPP believes that all decisions must be taken by parliament. Will be reaching out to allied parties to creat consensus on the way forward', FM Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari tweeted.

Seminar on Afghan peace

In a related development, speakers at a consultation here were of the opinion that Pakistan needs to be 'assertive' and should negotiate with the TTP from a 'position of strength.'

Lawmakers, academicians, former diplomats, retired army officers and experts on security and Afghan affairs participated in the discussion on 'Afghan peace and reconciliation: Pakistan's interests and policy options' organised by Islamabad-based Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS).

Most participants were critical of the TTP demand for reversal of Fata's merger with KP. They said that Pakistan should only talk to the group on the terms of surrender.

The speakers had divergent views about the outcome of Pakistan's ongoing talks with the banned group and the majority was not optimistic that Pakistan could either succeed to seal any peace deal with the TTP or any agreement would last long even if signed.

Many questioned the composition of the jirga that held talks with the group and argued that expectations of Pakistan were wrong.

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