The four-member government-appointed committee on Tuesday said peace talks with the Taliban could not continue unless there is an unconditional ceasefire immediately from the militant group.
A decision to this effect was taken at an emergency meeting of the committee, which later met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and briefed him along with other Cabinet members. The committee said the situation had changed since peace talks began and there were disturbing incidents like the attack on policemen in Karachi, which killed 13 persons and later the Mohmand agency faction had claimed the murder of 23 Frontier Corps men.
The committee said talks cannot continue in this scenario and they could not be meaningful unless the Taliban agrees to stop all these violent activities and concrete steps were taken to ensure they did not continue.
The talks were progressing well after a meeting with the nominees of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which had also gone to South Waziristan to meet the Taliban leadership.
There are unconfirmed reports that the TTP too is contacting its factions to discuss a ceasefire. However, terrorist activities continued and security officials said that Mehrab, a soldier was killed in firing on Monday at a security check post in Ladha, South Waziristan.
In another incident on Tuesday, Inter Services Public Relations said that a security forces vehicle was targeted near Peshawar and in the exchange of fire Major Jehanzeb was killed. The exchange of fire is continuing and three terrorists were killed.
On Monday, two more incidents of terrorism were reported from the country. Six polio workers were kidnapped at Tank, including an official from the World Health Organisation. In Karachi bombs were thrown at offices of Aaj television and at Waqt TV but no injuries were reported.
