The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has granted the authority to decide on ceasefire to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami (JUI-S) chief Maulana Samiul Haq.
JUI-S Information Secretary Makhdom Muhammad Asim said Taliban had given authority to Haq to announce ceasefire. If an accord is reached with the government, Haq will announce ceasefire, added the JUI-S leader.
On the other side, Taliban committee member Prof Ibrahim has confirmed that Taliban had authorised Haq to announce ceasefire on their behalf.
Prof Ibrahim cited Taliban as saying that ceasefire should be declared simultaneously from both sides. Taliban also demanded that its men should not be killed in custody and their arrests be stopped forthwith.
JUI-S leader said government had first demanded from the Taliban to announce ceasefire from their side. He said talks with Taliban should continue. He said Friday will be observed as ‘Day of Prayers’ in a hope to restore peace in the country. He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif played his best role in peace talks.
The TTP had offered on February 19 to observe a ceasefire to allow the resumption of stalled peace talks, provided security forces stop killing and arresting its members.
The offer came a day after a four-member government negotiating committee suspended dialogue following a weekend claim by the TTP Mohmand chapter that it has executed 23 kidnapped paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) troops. The government negotiators had set a ceasefire as a precondition for another round of talks.