TTP’s demands are on the line of demanding the sky and getting away with whatever you get in between. Let’s see how practical their demands might be for the Government: They’ve asked for imposition of Shariah, which would not be conceded to. They’ve asked for complete withdrawal of the Armed Forces from the FATA area, the military would not like to transform FATA into a lawless frontier region where it has no authority and allow the TTP to consolidate their gains. They’ve asked for an end to Drone strikes and severing of ties with Washington. At most, even this demand would only result in raising some hue and cry about the drone attacks, and that is about it.

So if there is nothing real to talk about, why has TTP floated such a call and is now propagating it through their shura and proposing names of guarantors? Essentially, TTP is demanding something which the Government of Pakistan is in no position to concede to. So what does the TTP gain out of it? Actually, TTP is in a no-lose situation with the offer of these talks. If the Government is even willing to talk, this is a win situation for TTP as it provides them recognition. While, if the Government doesn’t accept their demands (which it cannot), the TTP would claim the Government to be a bunch of infidels who do not want Shariah, do not want to end drone strikes against innocent civilians (we know the TTP’s demand to end drone strikes is for their own freedom of action and not out of a love of civilian lives) and who ascribe to the patronage of kuffar. Furthermore, the TTP can get away with offer of a ceasefire (an offer the Military would hardly subscribe to). Not taxing our memories too much, we can still recall the last time a ceasefire accord was struck with the TTP: they consolidated, restructured and came back stronger, fiercer and meaner. Getting some fellow Taliban freed might even come as fringe benefits.

For the past decade, the TTP has waged devilish terror in the name of their extreme ideals. Their murderous campaign is not only restricted to law enforcement agencies as they’ve ruthlessly murdered countless innocent civilians including women and children. They’ve barbarously slaughtered, tortured, maimed, dismembered and mutilated their captives. They’ve targeted people from all walks of life, especially those who dared to raise a voice against their cruel tactics and mala fide intentions. With a sinister design, they’ve razed schools to the ground, destroyed vital infra-structure, converted peaceful areas to lawless frontiers and pushed areas under their control to the dark ages. They’ve harassed, extorted, killed, oppressed and instilled fear in the hearts and mind of the people. They’ve provided an umbrella to any and all anti-state factions and are prompt in accepting any and all terror incidents, providing them a brand name. No longer an organised single entity, they’re a loose conglomerate of a wide array of sub-groups featuring terrorists, extremists, separatists, hate groups, et al.