Pakistan government welcomes Taliban ceasefire call

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Pakistan government has welcomed a ceasefire call by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group.Coordinator of the government peace committee Irfan Siddiqui said on Saturday that the ceasefire offer was a “breakthrough” in the dialogue process.    “We will wait for formal communication on the ceasefire from the TTP and review it objectively. Once a written document is received, the government committee will consider resuming the dialogue process,” Siddiqui said.TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid announced on the same day that the militant group has declared a month-long ceasefire and its leadership has called on all members to respect the truce.Shahid also urged the government to “give a positive response” to the Taliban gesture to make progress in the delicate peace efforts.The TTP had earlier refused to put an end to its fatal attacks. The refusal led to a deadlock in the negotiation process that started last month.    The Pakistani government official stated that the dialogue process was proceeding well but violent activities of the Taliban side led to a setback. “Therefore, it was felt that there will be no point in continuing the dialogue.”Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif initiated the talks in an attempt to end violence in the country.There has been growing skepticism over the success of the talks.Taliban leaders have also said the TTP sees no urgency to reach an agreement with the Islamabad government.Pakistan has been gripped by deadly violence since 2001, when Islamabad joined the United States’ so-called war on terror.According to Pakistani authorities, nearly 50,000 people have lost their lives in the violence./129