MIRAMSHAH: Hafiz Gul Bahadur, a Taliban leader based in North Waziristan Agency, has distanced himself from peace talks between the government and the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

His spokesman Ahmadullah Ahmadi said in a statement here on Sunday that the peace agreement signed in 2006 by the government and local Taliban was still intact, although its certain clauses had been violated. The deal was renewed in 2008.

“The government has violated certain clauses of the agreement, but they (Taliban) still abide by it and will never allow anyone to violate it,” the spokesman said, adding that the Gul Bahadur faction had never been part of the TTP.

The influential Taliban outfit in the Ahmadzai tribe-dominated area of North Waziristan issued the statement a day after the TTP declared a unilateral ceasefire for one month.

Mr Ahmadi said the Taliban Shura in North Waziristan lead by Gul Bahadur had nothing to do with the ongoing peace talks between the government and the TTP.