Pakistani Taliban suspend dialogue offer

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, March 19, IRNA -- Pakistani Taliban here Monday suspended their peace talks offer after government ignored their proposal as they had refused to stop attacks.

The Taliban had offered conditional talks in early February and at the same time they had continued attacks on security forces and opponents.

A Taliban video said they were suspending talks because of the 'non-serious attitude of the security forces and the government.

The eight-minute Pashto-language video was delivered to the media offices in the country's northwest.

The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan said that they were suspending the talks offer as the security forces and the government did not positively responded to their February 4th offer.

He also asked the people to stay away from election rallies of three parties - Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Awami national Party (ANP) and the Mutahida Qaumi Movement.

The three parties support the security forces against the Taliban and the TTP spokesman said that these parties are on the TTP's hit list.

The Taliban announcement comes at a time when a group of suicide bombers struck a crowded judicial complex in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Monday.

At least four people were killed and nearly 30 others were injured in the attack.

After a lukewarm response by the government, two grand meetings of religious and political parties had called for talks with the Taliban to end the on-going bloodshed in Pakistan.

A tribal jirga or council of elders had been assigned by a conference of political parties earlier this month to approach the Taliban and all other stakeholders for initiating talks.

Taliban suspension of talks offer would raise concerns about violence ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled to be held in May this year.

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Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 80589215