TTP Asks Govˈt To Initiate Ceasefire

Islamabad, Feb 22, IRNA – Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesperson Shahidullah Shahid on Friday said the Taliban were ready for talks despite the fact that the recent bombardment in North Waziristan was proof of the governmentˈs insincerity, local media reported. Speaking to journalists at an undisclosed location, the spokesman added that the war has been started by the government and it should also take the lead on a ceasefire. Shahid said the Taliban were aiming to resolve issues through talks whereas the government was more focused on establishing its writ and the supremacy of the Constitution, which he said did not have a single element reflecting Islamic injunctions. He said the TTP was serious about the dialogue, adding that the negotiators representing it were more independent than those representing the government. The Taliban’s statements come after the government decided to pull the plug on the peace talks with the Taliban as the prime minister and the military leadership decided that “proceeding with the peace talks amid the bombings and slaughter of soldiers would be injustice to terror victims.” Following a wave of terrorist attacks on security forces, it has been decided that talks will only be held when blood stops spilling, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar quoted the premier as saying. At least 40 suspected insurgents were killed and several others injured as military jets and gunships bombed their hideouts in the North Waziristan and Khyber agencies, military sources said on February 20./end