TALIBAN ANNOUNCED ONLY
ONE MONTH CEASEFIRE
ONE MONTH CEASEFIRE
Pakistani Taliban has
announced ceasefire with the Pakistani government. The Taliban’s decision was
confirmed by Taliban officials named Shahid. "We
announce a ceasefire from today and appeal to all our companions to respect the
decision and refrain from any activity during this period,". Taliban official
said the decision was taken with the consent of the Taliban Shura and chief of
the outlawed group. The official also added that peace talks with the
government of Pakistan had been initiated with honest intentions and
seriousness.
According to the
Taliban official, a positive response had been received by the Taliban
committee from the government of Pakistan over elimination of the deadlock in
talks and announcement of ceasefire. He further told assurances had been
provided to the Taliban over implementation of their recommendations. The
Taliban’s ceasefire announcement was welcomed by the government of Pakistan. The
announcement was a positive step for us.
Talks between the two
committees stalled after the Taliban targeted Pakistan’s security forces and
civilians in several terrorist attacks. Following the deadlock, surgical
strikes conducted by fighter jets and gunship helicopters were carried out
targeting militant hideouts in the tribal areas. Pakistan Interior Ministery announced
that dialogue remained a priority but the government would not allow anybody to
challenge it.
The parliamentarians were
also informed by the interior ministry of Pakistan that an operation was not
underway in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) but surgical strikes
were being carried out.
