Taliban still being targeted despite ceasefire: Shahidullah Shahid
There are elements in government who want the dialogue process to fail, he claimed.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Shahidullah Shahid alleged on Wednesday that security forces’ operation against Taliban still continues despite the announcement of month-long ceasefire by Taliban at the end of last month.
Speaking to the press, Shahid said claimed that Taliban are still being targeted adding that raids, capturing and torturing Taliban accomplices is a violation of the ceasefire.
TTP spokesman quoted alleged instances of mortar shelling in Mohmand agency, arrest of members in Karachi, Swabi, Peshawar and Charsadda to support his claims.
Denying involvement in Islamabad court attack, Shahid reinforced that TTP has no link with any militant group by the name of Ahrarul Hind. He also denied planning attack against Musharraf.
Shahid alleged that various factors within the government are trying to influence and affect the peace process.
Pakistan is facing almost a decade old insurgency at the hands of Taliban factions grouped under umbrella o Tehrik-e-Taliban. The new governing parties including Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) had campaigned in elections in favour of resolving the years old conflict through dialogue.
The ruling party secured a vote of confidence in favour of dialogue through a session of All Parties Conference (APC) and to act on the recommendation upon willingness from Taliban, committees to represent both government and Taliban were formed and the process continued.
However, all negotiations stalled as a number of civilians and military personnel were brutalized whose responsibility was claimed by Taliban.
Following a number of air strikes by Pakistan military, Taliban agreed to a month-long ceasefire which was later reciprocated by the government.
Government also dissolved the existing committees emphasizing the need of moving forward the negotiations to next phase by restructuring the existing government committee to hold ‘direct talks’.
