The warring Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a mother organization of different Taliban groups in Pakistan, has announced a month-long ceasefire with security forces “with immediate effect”, on Saturday.
The much-awaited development is a major breakthrough in breaking the deadlock in the peace process between the two sides.
The peace talks aim to bring a negotiated end to an 11-year old conflict that has killed thousands in the country.
“We have ordered all the (Taliban) groups to honor the ceasefire, and strictly refrain from Jihadi activities against the security forces for one month”, Shahidullah Shahid, a spokesman for the TTP said in a statement on Saturday.
The decision, Shahid said, has been taken by the senior Taliban leadership in line with the wishes of the ‘respectable’ Ulema (religious scholars) from across the country, and in consultation with the three-member Taliban negotiating team.
The move has the full backing of the Taliban Shura (consultative body), and the hardline Chief Maulvi Fazlullah.
“The government gave a positive response to the recommendations we had conveyed through our negotiating team for ending the deadlock in the peace talks. We have been given satisfactory assurance that the recommendations will be implemented”, Shahid said, without elaborating on the recommendations that the TTP leadership has conveyed to the government.
“We hope the government will give a positive response to our gesture,” he added.
Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, the head of TTP negotiating committee, told the local Geo TV that he had been given assurance by Interior Minister Chaudry Nisar Ali Khan that the government would respond to the TTP’s ceasefire ‘positively’.
“This is a great news for the entire nation,” an apparently happy Sami-ul-Haq said, expressing hope that the temporary ceasefire would be converted into a permanent ceasefire.
Sami-ul-Haq said: “Now, the onus is on the government and the Taliban to exploit this one-month ceasefire to bring an end to bloodshed in the country.”
“The entire nation is praying and waiting for that”, Sami added, saying that the meeting of the government and Taliban negotiating committees is expected to be held within a couple of days.
Welcoming the ceasefire, the head of the four-member government negotiating committee, Irfan Siddiqui, told reporters that the step was a 'positive development'.
The peace process began on January 29 but struck an impasse, following two deadly terrorist attacks on security forces: first in Karachi, on February 13 killing 13 police commandos, and injuring 47, and second in neighboring Afghanistan, on February 15 when the TTP claimed the killing of 23 troops abducted in 2010.
The TTP said the security personnel were killed in revenge for deaths of members of the Taliban in custody.
The two incidents were followed by massive army bombardments in North Waziristan, South Waziristan, Khyber Agency, and Hangue areas, killing over 100 suspected militants besides destroying several hideouts since February 17.
By Aamir Latif
englishnews@aa.com.tr
