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Pakistani Taliban declare ceasefire to support peace talks: Report
The Pakistani Taliban have declared a ceasefire with the government of Pakistan in support of peace talks, reports AP.
The Pakistani Taliban have declared a ceasefire with the government of Pakistan in support of peace talks. PHOTO: EXPRESS
The Pakistani Taliban have declared a ceasefire with the government of Pakistan in support of peace talks, The Associated Press (AP) reported on Tuesday.
A senior commander of the militant group, on the condition of anonymity, said that the ceasefire had been in place for the past month, reported AP.
The Express Tribune could not independently verify if a ceasefire is actually in place.
The Army had earlier denied news reports that stated it was engaged in negotiations with the Taliban. In a statement issued through the ISPR, the military “strongly and categorically” refuted news reports published by foreign news agencies that claimed that the Pakistani government and army were engaging in peace talks with the militant outfit.
“The army is not undertaking any kind of negotiations with TTP or its affiliated militant groups,” the spokeperson said.
“Such reports are concocted, baseless and unfounded,” he added.
A senior TTP militant commander had said on Monday that the banned group was engaging in initial peace talks with the Pakistan government and military.
“Peace talks are continuing with the Pakistani government and army. We have had two rounds of such talks,” one senior Taliban commander told AFP by telephone, claiming to be on a 10-member negotiating committee.
Dialogue, without arms says Rehman Malik
Interior Minister Rehman Malik said dialogue has already been offered to the Tehreek-e-Taliban but talks cannot take place till the militant outfit throws away their arms and give up terrorism.
“There is nothing formal regarding talks with Taliban. The Taliban usually send messages to us and I also sometimes conveyed them a message so that peace could prevail. But it is clear if the Taliban want to shake hands with us they would have to get rid of their arms,” he said.
Speaking to the media today, Malik also added “We are happy they have realized that killing of innocent people is wrong and the only way forward is the path of peace.”
The Minister said he cannot say much on this national issue and added all the stakeholders would sit together to find the amicable solution.
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Reader Comments (43)
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Hmmm… something is fishy!
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Maybe this time we can get them all together and blow them up for a change?
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It is right,
a formal state can demand to insurgents for laying down arms,
As for as Afghanistan is concerned,can not be said to Talban
they become free from weapons before coming to negotiating table
because they are freedom fighters.
Solution,
through table talk would bring a peace and security in side the country.
Hundred and hundred of thousand innocent has been killed in the terrorist
attack,and now with a delightful result more expected killing of innocent men
women and children can be saved by this process.
On the other hand,
Pakistan should play a role in settlement between American army leadership
and Talban in Afghanistan,Pakistan is in a best position in this connection.
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if true, grab this opportunity to break peace with mountain men. enough of this senseless WOT
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Both sides tired, it seems ! Any way Thanks God. Human beings are meant to live not be killed. Better late than never.
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Its good to give Peace a chance, but dont Talibanised the country.
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This is a bad sign.they’ll use this socalled ‘ceasefire’ to regroup and restrengthen their ranks.There can be no negotiations with the religious fanatics,these people have a regressive,savage caveman mentality that cannot be reasoned with.these religious extremists want to take us back to the dark ages,why is our govt. negotiating with them in the first place?There can be no justification in negotiating with severely homophobic,womenoppressing intolerant religious ideologues,these people are brought up on videos of beheadings and stoning to death of women,these are not the type of people one negotiates with.
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Very good to hear this!
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I don’t see the Pakistani government negotiating with the Pakistani Taliban. The U.S. simply won’t allow it. After the last Pakistani elections that no party emerged with simple majority to form a government, the U.S. dispatched Richard Boucher and John Negreponte to Pakistan to fashion a coalition government acceptable to Washington. After talks with all parties, Boucher and Negreponte decided that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s party should be excluded from the government because it wanted to negotiate with the Taliban. A heated discussion between Nawaz Sharif and Negreponted that was leaked to the press that time went like this. Negreponte to Sharif: “You can’t talk to these people [the Taliban].” Sharif response to Negreponte: “If you don’t want us to talk to these people, you should stop bombing our villages!”
Negreponte and Boucher then pushed other parliamentarians with threats of cut off of the U.S. aid to exclude Nawaz Sharif’s party, and elect Asif Zardari as president because he was ready to serve the U.S. dutifully. And the U.S. rewarded Zardari by pushing the Swiss government to drop pending charges of corruption and an arrest warrant against him. The rest is history. The U.S. just wanted the Pakistani Taliban exterminated, and forced the Pakistani government into various military campaigns that killed thousands, leveled off many villages, and created a flood of refugees.
As of now, the situation is Pakistan is worse – not better. But negotiations is the only way to go. But since the U.S. wants both the Pakistani Taliban and the Afghan Haqqani Taliban dead, negotiations won’t go anywhere. Simply stated, when a foreign power bombs with impunity the territory of another state – as the U.S. does in Pakistan, that state is not sovereign anymore to determine its own internal affairs. I expect the Pakistani government and the Taliban to negotiate a peace deal when the U.S. is eventually kicked out of Afghanistan. Until then, the Pakistani government and the Taliban shall “wink, wink” at each other until the Central Asia invaders cut and run! Then the Pakistanis can sit down like a family and sort all their differences out! Nikos Retsos, retired professor
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Awww that picture just makes me want to hug them and initiate peace talks!
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Let us see, how long this lasts !!
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No no no. Absolutely not. Peace talks are merely a pretense for these nutcases to recuperate and rearm, especially when on the back foot. Forget armistice,kill them all!
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Till we get rid of these people and change the mindset with respect to religious tolerance and take religion out of State, I am afraid we’ll continue to descend into chaos!
There should be no peace talk with these barbaric savages as they’ve killed thousands of innocent lives and any “peace talks” would just give them time to re-group etc.
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Taliban wouldn’t have given up so easily. They are on the run, their entire leadership is out of communication and finances. This time again they want to buy time. If granted they will play havoc again.
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Pakistan has paid a heavy price for our past mistakes. Its time that we acted rationally. However, lets not get blackmailed by the Taliban and other narrow minded outfits who want to impose their narrow interpretation of the first secular religion of the world for their own convenience and for power. We cannot we must not bow to their unjust demands. The secular forces of the country need to raise their voices so that no one-sided interpretation of the religion becomes an official version. We also need to forget about Afghanistan for once. Let their problems be theirs. We have a host of problems to deal with ourselves.
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It would appear that either the military or the Taliban are lying – neither has a great track record of telling the truth – in this case my monies on the Taliban.
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Finally pak army has bowed down to islam and will now be governed by sharia in most parts of the country. Very soon we will have taleban will enforce sharia throughout the country.Recommend
As muslims we should help taleban. Pak army should work for pak taleban on implementing sharia or give up arms.Recommend
haha… is it not yet another proof… that TTP was in close coordination of army leadership and playing agenda to push afghan taliban to table talks n political settlement for ….the great masters
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Army has delivered them a severe blow in Bajuar, South Waziristan, Orakzai and Kurram. Nice job guys. I support talks, but TTP must be disarmed and liquidated.
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Watch how drone strikes triple now
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the drone will kill hakimmulah mehsud and mulla radio.
where was peace of tehreek e taliban when innocents killed by them.
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I wonder how ghosts are so much in contact with news reporters while rest of the world is searching for them
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good news,, but these talibans have to live under our civilian government ….they have to allow their women to get education and have to allow every one on its own .
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There is no solution except talks. My fear is the hidden hand will not allow it. The WAR lobby is far too strong. Their ultimate goal is destruction on Pakistan.
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Remember to keep your powder dry and don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes on the outskirts of Islamabad.
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Its a good sign…instead of making the region a killing field PEACE must be given a chance. However…I feel quiet a few souls would be disappointed with such a positive development…
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@Cautious:
You are filled with phobia…it is people like you who does not want the PEACE given a chance…living under negative thinking must have made you coming to the edge of sanity.God save you you and the likes.
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The Taliban fight when they want and talk when they want. Its not hard guess who has the upper hand ?
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Please no, these are no humans. We dont want their version of Islam in our country. Its not that you can talk with them and they will stay in Waziristan only. We have been that road in Swat, talk to sensible Jurga people not TTP.
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These people are criminals who have killed innocent civilians and security personnel. The government should not negotiate with these Taliban types. Just ship them all to Afghanistan where they belong and build a big wall to keep them out.
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This means, just like LeT, JeM, Haqinni-Taleban, the TTP too has decided to become a -pak-army-friendly militant group.
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@JustAnotherPakistani:
Great historical reference.
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yes but after a fair judicial trial please .. ! + ban the guns
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@antanu:
I see no people speaking under influence phobias.
But you’re certainly just another easy target.
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The last (stupid) deal with the Taliban handed SWAT to them, and we all know how well that worked out, (especially for the people of SWAT)! The Taliban are losing, so now they want a time-out so they can rest, resupply and re-arm! Nothing short of a bullet between the eyes will ever “reform” these extremists who have their own unshakable vision for Pakistan!
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US asked ISI to get taliban on the negotiations table and ISI delivered, even though it has no control over taliban wink wink.
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We will negotiate with TTP when they are dead.
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Another topi drama from TTP.
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Finally, we can be a true islamic republic, we need sharia in pakistan to bring justice for the masses. We have tried all the political parties, it is time we try sharia based islamic society.
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@Imran kahn-khan:
We already have blasphemy, huddod laws and diyat law used to let go of Raymond Davis; all utter failure. Need I say more? We need to make it Secular Republic if we want to progress.
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@ali hasan:
good dreaming!
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@Jameel , good evaluvation of the situations .
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