TTP says ANP all-parties conference was an election move

TTP spokesperson lashes out at the ANP for holding the APC on Valentine's Day.

ISLAMABAD: The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) said Friday that the conference of religious and political leaders, sponsored by the Awami National Party (ANP) has 'failed to come up with a road-map for peace dialogue' and that the moot was an 'election' move.

Nearly 24 political and religious parties on Thursday recommended that talks with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) should be the ‘first priority’ in any strategy to restore peace in the country.

"The ANP's conference communique was nothing but old sentences and stories," said TTP spokesperson, Ehsanullah Ehsan, while reading a statement, issued by the group's political council, via phone.

He also said the Jamaat-e-Islami's boycott will remain a question mark on the credibility of the conference, adding that the TTP political council met at an undisclosed location following the ANP's moot to discuss its recommendations.

"We still await a serious and result-oriented response from the security forces and the government to our dialogue offer," Ehsanullah said, claiming that the offer was made for "Islam and in the country's interests."

"It is not the sign of our weakness," he quickly added from a written statement, he read out in Urdu.

The TTP spokesperson lashed out at the ANP for holding the APC on Valentine's Day, which he said 'reflected the imperialistic approach of the ANP leaders.

Angry at the Pakistani media, Ehsanullah Ehsan, said that 'certain American-brand journalists' are discrediting the Taliban's peace dialogue offer, who say that Taliban are not serious in talks.

"We want that those writers and journalists should be held accountable," he said.

In response to a question, Ehsan confirmed to The Express Tribune that Taliban have decided names for its negotiation team, refusing to divulge their names unless the government comes up with a formal response.

To another question he denied any differences in the ranks of the Taliban over the talks issue and said that all Taliban are united in the talks offer. He also dispelled the impression that Taliban have offered talks only to gain recognition for the outfit.

"The whole word recognises us," he went on to say.

The TTP spokesman had offered conditional talks in a video interview on February 4.

Interior Minister, Rehman Malik, has asked the Taliban to declare a ceasefire before the talks, however, Taliban have rejected the demand. The Taliban spokesman says that ceasefire will be discussed when the negotiations have started.