No decision on amnesty for Pakistani Taliban members: NSA Yusuf
Nov 12, 2021
Islamabad [Pakistan], November 12 : Pakistan National Security Adviser (NSA) Moeed Yusuf has said that no decision has been taken yet to grant amnesty to members of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
He made the comment in an interview on the Dawn News programme 'Live with Adil Shahzeb' on Wednesday.
At the outset, NSA Yusuf talked about the government's decision to hold talks with the TTP. He said the government was aware that agreements with the TTP in the past had not held, adding that at the present stage talks were being held and the government would see if the TTP was serious.
"The state's job is to defend its public and not to go with the kinetic option -- using bullets -- until it becomes impossible to avoid it," he stressed.
"This is an emotional issue. No Pakistani is left who has not been directly or indirectly affected by terrorism," he said.
Pakistan government and the TTP have agreed on a complete ceasefire.
The Taliban dispensation's Acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani hosted talks between the two sides for the past two weeks in the southeastern province of Khost, reported Tolo News.
TTP has been active in several parts of Pakistan since 2007 and is responsible for carrying out several attacks and blasts in the country.