TTP split a major dividend of talks policy

ISLAMABAD: The parting of ways by the Khan Said alias Sajna faction of the Mehsud militants with the TTP is considered as one of the major dividends of the government’s dialogue policy, which right from the beginning created a rift between the pro-talks and anti-talks militants.

Sajna was one of those leading Taliban commanders who even last year had conveyed to Ulema, involved in the first round of the talks process that ended with the killing of Hakimullah Mehsud by a US drone, his willingness to engage for peaceful settlement of the issue.

The Sajna-led Mehsud militants have enormous influence in South Waziristan and now there are growing chances of a possible agreement between the government and the Sajna group. In South Waziristan, the military already has an agreement with the Mullah Nazir Group — known as “good Taliban”. In such a scenario, South Waziristan would become peaceful.

Sources engaged in the dialogue process during the last several months hope that the North Waziristan-based Hafiz Gul Bahadar group could play an important role in getting a peace deal signed between the government and the Sajna group. Like the Mullah Nazir group in South Waziristan, the military already has a peace agreement with Hafiz Gul Bahadar group in North Waziristan. The Gul Bahadar group is also bracketed in the category of ‘good Taliban’.

Government sources are excited at the move of Sajna-led Mehsud militants. They insist that they would talk to all those who want to talk to attain the objective of peace. These sources said there are some other Taliban factions, who are also in contact with the government for a dialogue.

Former Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq had announced on Wednesday the Mehsud militants’ decision to part ways with the TTP. “It is unfortunate that the leadership of the Pakistani Taliban has fallen into the hands of naive persons and conspirators bringing a bad name to the Jihadi organisations in the world,” Azam Tariq was quoted as saying by the media.

“After days of thinking and discussions, we finally decided to abandon Mullah Fazlullah and the people around him. The majority of members of our Taliban network have been involved in un-Islamic activities. They are engaged in the killing of innocent people, kidnapping for ransom and extortions which had never been the objectives of our slain leader Baitullah Mehsud,” said Azam Tariq, a former schoolteacher.

Azam Tariq had said his new group will operate under the banner of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan-South Waziristan Agency (TTP-SWA), and added that Khalid Mehsud, whose real name is Khan Said alias Sajna, would lead the new faction of the Mehsud Taliban.

The government-Taliban dialogue process was facing suspension during the last several weeks because of the infighting within the TTP, which led to the most serious setback to the Taliban unity since the TTP’s creation.It is said that Mullah Fazlullah, who is presently leading the TTP, is not acceptable to military authorities for his “crimes” whereas not much opposition is there for Sajna, who has been a known supporter of the talks process.

Even on Wednesday, Azam Tariq told the media: “We wanted to find out a peaceful solution to the conflict and favoured the peace talks with the government. However, those Pakistani Taliban sitting in Afghanistan and running the group from across the border opposed the talks.”

This situation is encouraging for those who have been supporting the dialogue process. While there were many who always disapproved the talks process, it was a foreseen conclusion that the dialogue process would divide the Taliban while the military operation would unite them.