TTP members split over ceasefire agreement; TTP Mohmand chief threatens attacks against government; TTP spokesman says talks can continue in absence of formal ceasefire; TTP political shura member says TTP has not issued new official stance on ceasefire yet; Prime Minister reportedly approves release of 16 TTP prisoners, spokesman for Prime Minister denies reports; Former President Musharraf’s convoy misses bomb attack; Musharraf’s counsel claims Musharraf was offered, rejected deal that would exile him for five years; Musharraf submits application to Supreme Court seeking removal of travel ban; U.S. and Pakistan close to deal for MRAP vehicles; Pakistan to increase security on Afghan border in anticipation of election violence; Senior Afghan official reports TTP escalates attacks on border posts; Main Afghan candidates want improved relations with Pakistan; Mortar shells from Afghanistan land in North Waziristan agency.
Peace Talks
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According to a Thursday article in The News, members of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are split over whether to continue a ceasefire with the government. After several shura meetings, the TTP did not agree to extend the ceasefire that formally ended on March 31. Although some members want to continue dialogue with the government, others, including TTP Mohmand agency leader, Omar Khalid Khurasani, have threatened to carry out attacks against the government. According to TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shaid, consultations over the extension of the ceasefire are still ongoing. Shahid added that even if no formal ceasefire agreement was in place, the TTP and government could continue the peace process so long as both sides refrain from attacks.[1]
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According to a Thursday article in The News, Tariq Azam, a member of the TTP political shura, said that Shahidullah Shahid and Omar Khalid Khorasani’s statements are their personal opinions and do not reflect the TTP’s stance regarding the ceasefire. Tariq added that the TTP would announce its official stance soon.[2]
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On Thursday, intelligence officials reported that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif authorized the release of 16 TTP prisoners in an effort to revive the stalled peace talks. However, a source within the Prime Minister’s office reported that the 16 prisoners released were individuals involved in petty crimes or non-combatant civilians with links to the TTP, but who were not TTP militants themselves. The TTP had previously demanded the release of approximately 800 prisoners that the group describes as “non-combatants.” Pakistani intelligence officials confirmed that prisoners had been brought to the Zari Noor camp in Wana, South Waziristan. Additionally, one unnamed TTP leader also stated that the TTP proposed a “peace zone” in either Laddha or Makin, which are both Mehsud-majority areas in South Waziristan.[3]
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According to a Thursday report in Dawn, a spokesman for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif denied reports that the Prime Minister approved the release of TTP prisoners in an effort to revive the stalled peace talks. The spokesman stated that the report in Reuters was incorrect, and clarified that the government had not released any prisoners nor had it approved their release. The spokesman added that the South Waziristan’s political administration released 16 men who had been involved in petty crime and were arrested during search operations on April 1.[4]
Musharraf
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On Thursday, a bomb planted on a bridge apparently targeting the convoy of former President Pervez Musharraf exploded shortly after the convoy passed by after leaving a Rawalpindi hospital. No one was injured in the blast.[5]
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On Wednesday, Musharraf’s former counsel claimed that Musharraf had been offered a deal by the government to leave the country for five years, but that Musharraf had rejected the offer.[6]
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On Thursday, an advocate for former president Pervez Musharraf, Shah Khawar, submitted an application to the Supreme Court seeking the removal of Musharraf’s name from the Exit Control List (ECL). The application argued that every individual had the freedom to travel abroad, and that Musharraf should not be prevented from doing so. A Thursday article in The News reported that only the Supreme Court can remove Musharraf’s name from the ECL and allow him to travel abroad, as it was the Supreme Court that added Musharraf’s name in April 2013.[7]
U.S.-Pakistan Relations
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According to a Wednesday report in Defense News, the United States and Pakistan are close to completing a deal that will send new and surplus Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles from Kuwait to Pakistan. Pakistan previously received 22 MRAPs taken out of the U.S. Army’s stock in Kuwait under a now-canceled State Department program, known as the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund. Taking MRAP vehicles from the additional stock in Kuwait allows Pakistan to receive additional MRAPs without receiving them from Afghanistan.[8]
Afghanistan-Pakistan Relations
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On Thursday, a Foreign Office spokeswoman said that “Pakistan will beef up security along the border” with Afghanistan to prevent violence related to the upcoming elections there from spilling into Pakistan. She did not specify what exactly would be done to increase security.[9]
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According to a Thursday report in the Associated Press, Afghan Interior Minister Mohammad Umar Daudzai reported that the TTP have escalated attacks on border posts between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Responding to questions regarding the escalation of violence during Afghanistan’s national elections, Daudzai said that “most of the border checkpoints in several eastern provinces” had been attacked the previous night, but assured reporters that security forces were ready to deal with the violence.[10]
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According to a Thursday report in The Express Tribune, all three major Afghan Presidential candidates have expressed a desire to improve relations with Pakistan. Dr. Ashraf Ghani said he hoped the two countries could achieve the level of cooperation reached by Germany and France following the Second World War. Zalmai Rasoul said that he plans to review the Afghanistan-Pakistan relationship if he is elected. Abdullah Abdullah said that he would respect the Durand Line and would “not turn the issue into a matter of dispute and conflict.[11]
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On Thursday, 23 mortar shells fired from Afghanistan landed in Ghulam Khan and Bagi Dar, North Waziristan agency. There were no casualties.[12]