Numerous incidents of terrorism this week in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have contributed to a decline in hopes for a negotiated settlement between the government and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Six people, including five policemen, were gunned down outside Peshawar, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) killed three people near Charsadda and wounded 40 more, and four men including two peace committee members were shot dead in separate attacks around the province. The 40-day ceasefire announced by the terrorists ended two weeks ago and such incidents were bound to increase, though terrorist attacks during the ceasefire that were attributed to ‘splinter groups’ made a mockery of the whole concept. The negotiations stalled some days ago, with the government and the terrorists unable to find common ground on issues like releasing prisoners and withdrawing the military from North Waziristan. Arguably, the government has done its best to satisfy the terrorists while following a policy of restraint, containment and retaliation, with less retaliation and more restraint. However, ceding territory to a militant group and releasing hundreds of prisoners immediately are not reasonable demands. Many observers noted that without a clear strategy, the government could not convince the terrorists to drop their ideological agenda and renounce violence. Furthermore, it appears that some groups within the TTP care more for satisfying their bloodlust than adhering to a political process. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar met TTP negotiators the other day to find a way forward, but all he achieved was a commitment from them that they would try to convince the group’s central leadership to extend the ceasefire. This is grim news for a country that has already seen too much blood spilt. And also for political parties who staked their credibility on the sincerity of terrorists towards negotiations. There was little reciprocity and a great deal of finger pointing from the terrorists, who consistently accused the government of being insincere. The wisdom of trusting terrorists who have killed thousands of Pakistanis was questionable to begin with and perhaps it should have been remembered that even ‘brothers’ can have irreconcilable differences. At this stage there can be no confusion between national and political interests. If force is required, political consensus must support the military, which proved it can take the terrorists head on. Conflict between the government and the military should not be played up. Both have shown sensitivity to each other’s requirements: the terrorists are the ones at fault. Veiled references to ‘unseen hands’ destabilising negotiations, like those made by KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak on Tuesday, incline towards political gamesmanship and a desire to be proved right. No one is always right. However one can do the right thing. We must now wait and see what the process delivers and once decided on a course of action, see it through to the end.*