Professor Ibrahim (right) and Maulana Yousaf Shah (left). Basit Shah—AFP
Pakistani Taliban spokesman claims implementing a ceasefire would not be difficult if the Taliban groups agree to it.
Mediators for peace talks with the Taliban on Tuesday set a ceasefire as a precondition to the resumption of negotiations, which were suspended over the execution of kidnapped soldiers at the weekend.
A faction of the insurgent group said they had killed 23 soldiers on Sunday, leading to condemnation from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the cancellation of scheduled talks between mediators on Monday.
Following a meeting on Tuesday in Islamabad, the government negotiators led by Irfan Siddiqui briefed the prime minister and said they had received a “discouraging response” since talks were announced on Jan. 29.
“The Prime Minister was told that the committee was unable to carry forward the dialogue process in the absence of an announcement by the Taliban ceasing violent activities and then implementing the decision,” a statement said. Excluding the dead soldiers, some 60 people have died in Islamist-linked violence since the talks began.
A senior Taliban negotiator said that the militant group was working toward a ceasefire that might have been agreed at Monday’s cancelled meeting. “The issue was on top of Monday’s meeting between the two committees, which was called off by government negotiators,” Professor Muhammad Ibrahim said. “There was a strong possibility that we could have agreed on a ceasefire had the meeting taken place,” Ibrahim added.
He said he had spoken to senior Taliban commander Azam Tariq and we “are making efforts for resumption of the stalled talks.”
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said: “We are in contact with all Taliban groups on the issue of ceasefire and hope to reach a decision pretty soon.” He said that implementing a ceasefire would “not be very difficult.”
Some observers have raised doubts about the influence of the central Taliban command and its ability to control all factions, including some who are opposed to negotiations.
3 comments
For them its a game to see at what point the govt reacts and how strong the reaction is. We r dealing with psychos here who have no qualms on killing to see the reactions . I mean its so obvious but no one in govt or clergy or politicians can see this. People like IK cannot still belive these r humans who need a sympathetic ear
if the tali terrorists are serious, they should lay down their arms for at least six months and than the impotent govt of nawaz sharrif to talk to them!
Just look at the ques of boars like creatures. These imposters crave for the moment when they are given importance from the cow like creatures in the government. They are no more than stray and rabid dogs. The slaughter of FC men proves that TTP and the so called Muslims of their likes are worst than swines.