Taliban refuse to extend ceasefire
April 16, 2014
In a statement TTP spokesman, Shahidullah Shahid said the government did not give a satisfactory response to the Taliban’s 40-day ceasefire and 50 of their detained members were killed during this period.
The TTP spokesman said the decision to not extend the ceasefire was taken by the Taliban shura. Shahidullah Shahid added if the government takes any serious step, the TTP will respond.
According to Shahidullah Shahid the dialogue process with the government would continue.
The TTP had declared a month-long ceasefire on March 1, 2014 during the dialogue process with the government. Later the ceasefire was extended for ten days which expired on April 10, 2014.
Speaking to Geo News Taliban Committee member, Professor Ibrahim said the decision to not extend the ceasefire would not impact the dialogue process. "We will continue our efforts in trying to extend the ceasefire."
Professor Ibrahim said reservations of the TTP had been communicated to the government.
Senior Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir said Taliban are skeptical of the government’s seriousness in holding talks and they accused secret agencies of creating rifts among the TTP ranks.
He said Taliban leaders saw hidden hands of Pakistan’s security agencies in recent deadly clashes between the Sheheryar Mehsud and Khan Said Sajna groups of the terror outfit.
“Taliban say government agencies tried to install Khan Said Sajna as TTP chief after the killing of Hakimullah Mehsud,” Hamir Mir told Geo News.
He said that the Taliban were also unhappy over government’s unwillingness to free their prisoners.
