Ready to consider pardoning TTP if it shuns violence, says Qureshi
September 16, 2021 07:54 PM
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Thursday that the state was ready to consider granting ‘amnesty’ to the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) if they promised that they would shun violence in future and accept the constitution of Pakistan, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
In an interview with The Independent, Qureshi expressed his country’s concern over the reports of the Afghan Taliban releasing TTP terrorists.
"If those guys come and start creating problems for us over here, it will affect innocent lives and we don't want that," he said, adding if the new Afghan government could use its influence and talk to the TTP and "if [the TTP] are willing to mend their ways and do not take the law into their hands and do not get involved in terrorist activities besides also submitting and surrendering to the writ of the government and the Constitution of Pakistan, we are even open to giving them a pardon."
Qureshi termed as "positive" the Afghan Taliban's announcement that they would not allow any terrorist group to use their soil against any country, including Pakistan.
Pakistan FM said that his country had been "continuously" pointing out TTP sanctuaries to the Ashraf Ghani government, "but they wouldn't move".
It remained to be seen whether the Afghan Taliban acted on their assurances, Qureshi added.
Qureshi’s comments come days after President Arif Alvi had suggested during an interview with a private news channel that the government could consider giving an amnesty to those TTP members who had not remained involved in "criminal activities" and who had laid down their weapons and agreed to adhere to the Pakistan’s constitution.