Pakistani Taliban call meeting in response to APC peace offer

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Screen grab from video released on February 3, 2013, shows Pakistani Taliban spokesman Ehsnaullah Ehsan announcing the militant groups willingness for peace talks with the government.–Video grab

PESHAWAR: The Pakistani Taliban have called an 'important meeting' of its Shura (council) in response to the Awami National Party’s All Parties Conference peace talks offer in Islamabad, a spokesman for the banned militant outfit said Thursday.

“We have convened an important meeting of the shura tomorrow and will respond by 1 pm Friday, what we are going to do next,” a spokesman for the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Ehsanullah Ehsan told Dawn.com speaking from an undisclosed location.

Ehsan said the militant group would hold its meeting at an undisclosed location along Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

More than 27 political parties and lawyer organisations participating in the APC had agreed to negotiate with those Taliban militants who were ready to accept the law and the Constitution of Pakistan.

However, the militant group vowed to continue terror attacks until a peace deal is reached.

“The attacks would continue until we go into a viable agreement…its not so that we should stop every thing before the achievement of our goals,” he said.

“We shall be continuing with more such attacks until the peace deal is finalised. Military attacks and peace talks are continuing on both sides, the security forces have also not stopped attacking the Taliban despite offering an olive branch.”

About the participation of the Jamiat-i-Ulema Islam (JUI-F) and Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) in the conference, Ehsan said: “The Jamaat-i-Islami has not participated but we shall respond tomorrow after the meeting.”

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