Talks With TTP.

The ongoing talks with the TTP have elicited a wide range of varying reactions within the policy circles of the country. There are of course differing views on whether talks should be pursued in the first place, how they should be approached, and what the implications could be. While some believe that there is nothing to negotiate other than the surrender of the terrorists, others are of the view that the group is already defeated.

There are multiple factors at play here and the assumption that successful talks will result in peace and stability is also a contested one. For instance, there could very well be a scenario where disgruntled members and factions within the TTP could splinter to either form one or more new groups or join others like the IS-K. Militant groups can be likened to organisms that mutate and evolve constantly and thus it is hard to predict or anticipate any particular scenario because of the myriad possibilities.

But before we can debate the contours of a peace deal and what its implications may be, there are still key issues over which the talks remain stalled. The most significant one is the reversal of the FATA merger and reports suggest that the TTP is not willing to compromise on this particular demand. The mainstreaming of FATA is something that was years in the making and of course the state cannot allow the TTP to force this demand.

The other...