“No one has contacted us for peace talks, not even a tribal jirga has approached us. If they (government) want to end this war, they will have to announce a ceasefire,” says Taliban spokesperson. PHOTO: AFP
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Tuesday insisted they were still at war with government troops because peace talks had yet to start and the military was still launching multiple offensives against them.
The announcement came two days after senior military officers were killed by a Taliban bomb in the Upper Dir district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“War is continuing, it was started by the government and they will have to stop it,” TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid told AFP on Tuesday from an undisclosed location.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has called for peace talks and last week won backing from main political parties.
But hopes that the talks would go ahead were dealt a blow when a Taliban bomb on Sunday killed three soldiers including a major-general.
Analysts said the attack endangered the proposed peace talks with the insurgent group.
Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani on Monday said militants would not be allowed to take advantage of the peace talks offer.
But the Taliban said that they would carry out more attacks because peace talks had yet to be officially proposed.
“No one has contacted us for peace talks, not even a tribal jirga has approached us. If they (government) want to end this war, they will have to announce a ceasefire,” Shahid said. The Taliban on Sunday announced preconditions for talks on ending the insurgency, demanding that troops withdraw from tribal areas and that prisoners are freed.
Pakistan’s military insisted they would not let Taliban set conditions for peace talks. When the TTP spokesman was asked about his group’s future plans after the attack which killed the officers, he said: “We will never miss any opportunity to attack the army like that.”
Published in The Express Tribune, September 18th, 2013.
COMMENTS (18)
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@Ahmed Ali Khan: "If the army does not want to kill them then just push them out either in India or Afghanistan."
This same thinking has what destroyed Pakistan today to the point that now it has to negotiate (read: beg) for peace with its own creation. Keep thinking the same way, you are not going to hurt India or Afghanistan but destroy your own country.
@Ali: Pakistani Armed Forces as on today are not having any more the fighting qualities they had in the post-Independence era. Today they are scared to fight and somehow want to pose as 'sole savior of Pakistan' to protect their undeserving importance, their fat-salaried jobs and even fatter perks and almost no responsibilities. That is why TTP is posing the way they are doing!
@Rixvan: Yes. Army should "going back" and result would be minu 100
@Aadi: Army has been ''going ahead'' since last 10 years and the result is ZERO..!!!
These killers deserve no mercy or negotiations. Pakistan government and army must act with full force. The nation will stand behind them.
The Pakistan Armed Forces should continue to pound their targets day and night. Yes, we will not be able to kill every mullah, but they can be degraded and weakened. They were in Swat and were defeated, they were in Malakand and were defeated, they were in Bara and were defeated, they were in Tira Valley and were defeated and where ever they are will be defeated.
Wipe them out, they are not friends of Pakistan or Islam.
cease fire?????? LOL with whom????
Talibans are enemies of Pakistan and Islam. They should be crushed just like Gen. Musharraf did in his presidency. Do not consider them as they are our own coz they are not. The govt should ask the intelligence agencies what are their source of funding and then cut of the source which gives them strength. We have the best army and I am wondering what is the obstable in eliminating these cruel jahils. They have killed our 50,000 people and we are begging them. Gen. Kyani has to explain the nation what is the reason we cannot eliminate them or we do not want to eliminate them. If the army does not want to kill them then just push them out either in India or Afghanistan. Good riddence.
What sort of a dialogue would be possible with someone who wants to kill himself and also kill you? I have never been able to understand this. So are most Pakistanis, I believe. But some enlightened leaders are preaching otherwise. These leaders should realize that there is no shame in totally reversing your earlier incorrect standpoint and the nation will appreciate and admire it. When you can reverse your initial incorrect standpoint on Musharraf, why not do the same for the talibans also?
@Green Tiger: withdrawl from where. from your own countries and territories. what a stupid stance.i am a tribal from orakzai, and i say, please army stay put. i dont want these mideaval barbaric thugs to return
@Nadir: yeah. now we have a TTP spokesman in our midst
TTP is doing drama. Government should deal with the with iron fist.
Life of a serviceman is important. TTP are not protesting. They are killing Pakistanis. They should not given any space to regroup.
Technically, he`s right. There is no ceasefire agreement, so the fight is on. PTI has already said the troops should be withdrawn. Only after withdrawal, there can be Peace.
If TTP are not going to miss a chanc than why are we giving them a breather.
Now, goahead Army destroy these militants nation is with you!!
Taliban are acting as real victors and they want to inflict as much damage to their enemies (Pakistanis) as they could. They know that victors write the history. What a shame they continue killing us and we continue to beg them.
If only federal government was sincere the TTP would agree to a cease fire.