Pakistani Taliban Ceasefire Won’t End On March 31

Islamabad, March 31, IRNA - The government has managed to buy time from the Taliban’s intermediaries as the latter held out an assurance that the one-month ceasefire declared by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) early this month will hold post-March 31, local media reported on Sunday. “The ceasefire will not be ending on March 31,” said TTP intermediaries’ chief Maulana Samiul Haq after a meeting with Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and the government negotiating committee on talks at the Punjab House. The two sides met two days after the government negotiators held their first face-to-face meeting with members of the TTP Political Shura somewhere in the tribal area. Nothing concrete came out of the session which was dubbed a ‘huge milestone in the peace process’. The TTP is said to have shared with government negotiators a list of Taliban ‘non-combatants’ – mostly women, children and elderly – who they claim are in the custody of the security forces. The government has also called for the release of some high-profile figures held hostage by the Taliban. The interior minister asked the Taliban intermediaries for two or three days to look into the Taliban claim – which was accepted. Earlier Nisar had briefed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the progress of the peace process. The joint meeting of the Taliban intermediaries and the government negotiating team reviewed the outcome of the maiden face-to-face meeting and discussed the future course of action. “Both sides have agreed to continue the dialogue process,” Maulana Sami told journalists after the session. He described the direct talks between TTP Political Shura members and government negotiators as a ‘positive development’. The two sides agreed that ‘practical steps’ were needed to expedite the peace process, he said, adding that the next direct talks would be held at a different place. “After meeting the government we will decide the date and venue for the second face-to-face meeting.” Maulana said: “There was no deadlock in the talks and that significant progress has been made in the dialogue process.” /end