PESHAWAR: The outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) announced on Wednesday its decision to not extending the ceasefire and said that the government had failed to respond positively to the militant organisation's ceasefire of more than 40 days.

TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid, in his detailed statement, said that the government has failed to respond positively to Taliban's 'realistic' demands of establishing a peace zone, release of non-combatants and suspension of security forces operation in tribal areas.

“These were concrete steps for building confidence and defusing the tension,” he added.

Shahidullah blamed the government for rooting out an operation killing more than 50 of their activists and arresting over 200, saying hundreds of raids have also been conducted across the country which negated the ceasefire.

He said that the deadline for ceasefire had expired six days ago (April 10) but still there was a “mysterious silence” among the government ranks over peace talks.

The central spokesman of the Pakistani Taliban added that in the light of these developments, the TTP Shura has unanimously decided not to extend the ceasefire any more. He, however, added that the militant outfit would be willing to respond to any positive response from the government so that the peace process continues.

Moreover, the TTP Mohmand Agency chief, Umer Khalid Khurasani, also issued a statement in which he had said that government was not serious about peace and the only way to implement true Shariah was jihad.

Earlier on March 1, the TTP had announced a month-long ceasefire breaking a deadlock that was reached between mediating teams of the government and Taliban committee.

Within 24 hours of the ceasefire announcement, the government had also made public its decision to halt air strikes on militant hideouts.