The last eight days have been extremely bloody for Pakistan’s northwestern city of Peshawar. In that span of time, at least 136 people have been killed in three separate incidents of terrorism. The latest one took place on Sunday: twin blasts near the Qissa Khawani market in Peshawar killed 37 people and wounded at least 103 others, hitherto. The blasts took place exactly a week after twin suicide attacks in a church in Peshawar claimed 80 lives. 

The new Pakistani government under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif has been working to tackle the growing insurgency in that country through political means (table talks) with Tehreek Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Nonetheless, it seems as though the Taliban know nothing of politics and their politics is blowing innocent men, women and children with bombs.

The fate of the efforts made by Pakistani government to engage TTP in peace negotiations is the same as the Afghan government. Over the last three years, the Karzai administration has been consistently trying to nudge Taliban into talks to resolve country’s 12-year long conflict through a non-violent way but all in vain. The Taliban have always responded with more violence.

Earlier this month, Pakistani politicians backed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's calls to begin peace talks with the Taliban aimed at ending more than a decade of bloodshed. Representatives from the main coalition and opposition parties who had met for an All Parties Conference (APC) on September 09 asked the government to "initiate the dialogue" with the TTP."We repose full confidence in (the) efforts of the Prime Minister in this behalf and call upon the federal government to initiate the dialogue with all stakeholders," said a resolution passed by the representatives. Since then, Taliban have launched three massive attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan alone that are enough to illustrate the intention of Taliban.

Pakistani Taliban are not different from Afghan Taliban. None is responding positively to calls for table talks. Instead, incidents of terror are on rise in both the countries that have already caused death of thousands of innocent people. Taliban on both sides of the border will not negotiate until the time they feel strong and have their funding channels active.

Both the Afghan and Pakistani government must realize that peace can never triumph by begging it from terrorist groups such as Taliban. It should be earned by defeating the enemies of peace.