The federal government has been holding talks with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for at least two weeks in Afghanistan, reported RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal on Thursday.

According to the report, Pakistan's military officials and TTP representatives have been in negotiations which were being mediated by Afghanistan Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani.

Sirajuddin is the head of Haqqani network which many believe is involved in brutal attacks on American forces in Afghanistan. The US declared them a terrorist group in 2012 and placed a reward of $5 million on Sirajuddin’s head.

The group's chief in an article in New York Times in 2020 wrote Afghan insurgents are "fully committed” to a deal with Washington.

The TTP have killed thousands of people, including security officials, across the country during their insurgent activities.

One of the most brutal attack by the outfit was on 16 December 2016 on Army Public School in Peshawar in which the TTP killed 131 schoolchildren and 10 other people.

Before the attack, the security forces had carried out operation Zarb-e-Azb against TTP and other insurgent groups especially in former tribal region to cleanse the areas from militant activities. After the 2014 attack on Peshawar school, the military initiated operation Radd-ul-Fasaad to eliminate terrorism from the country.

Last month Pakistan's prime minister Imran Khan said his government was in talks with some factions of the TTP, provided they agreed to lay down arms and renounce violence.

"Yes, we forgive them and they become normal citizens," he said in an interview to TRT World.

According to Radio Mashaal's report, success of current talks between the government and TTP could result in a ceasefire agreement that would led to an end to more than a decade of insurgent activities in the country.

Quoting a source, the report said, the two sides were engaged in talks for more than two weeks and described the negotiations as "hectic".

The report also cited Pakistan’s ambassador to Kabul Mansour Ahmad Khan, saying he didn't know of any talks till November 2 when RFE/RL talked to him. But he did not reject the possibility of talks with the TTP, it added.

Currently, Noor Wali Mehsud is the chief of TTP.

Quoting another source, the story stated: “The two sides are fine-tuning their demands and conditions for a cease-fire."

It further said the outfit's demand include release of 100 fighters who are currently in prisons, while the government, in return, demanded nationwide truce.

“Once the cease-fire is agreed, the Pakistani security forces will not take action against the TTP and the TTP will not carry out attacks on the security forces or civilians,” said a source in the report.

According to another source in the report, the TTP members were allowed to visit Pakistan and meet their families but they had to be unarmed.

In 2002, the militant outfit members started to come together when the security officials started attacks in the former tribal areas against the foreign militants, who had fled from the war in Afghanistan to Pakistan, according to a Dawn report.

It stated that many members of the TTP were fighters of the war in Afghanistan and had fought against the Nato forces.

In December 2007, the TTP formally announced their existence under the leadership of Baitullah Mehsud.