NOWSHERA: The negotiating committees formed by the government and Taliban held on Wednesday their first joint meeting at Darul Uloom Haqqania in Akora Khattak since the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) declared a ceasefire and security forces halted retaliatory air strikes.

The meeting was attended by the government committee’s coordinator, Irfan Siddiqui, and members retired Maj Mohammad Amir, Rahimullah Yusufzai and Rustam Shah Mohmand, and Taliban negotiators Maulana Samiul Haq and Prof Ibrahim Khan.

According to a joint statement issued after the meeting, the participants expressed satisfaction over the ceasefire which had helped resume the talks.

The negotiations had been suspended after TTP faction based in the Mohmand tribal region claimed responsibility for killing 23 paramilitary soldiers in its custody on Feb 17.

Maulana Sami, chief of the TTP negotiating committee, termed the ceasefire a “great achievement”.

He said the committees had opened the doors for dialogue and now it was the responsibility of the “stakeholders” to take it to a decisive stage.

He stressed that the members of the two committees should not indulge in trading accusations because hidden enemies could exploit the situation.

He alleged that the neighbouring countries, including India and Afghanistan, did not want Pakistan to be prosperous and strong and were trying to thwart the process of negotiations.

Talking to reporters, Mr Siddiqui said the dialogue process had entered a new phase after the ceasefire announced by both sides.

He said the Taliban committee had expressed its desire to meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

According to sources, the government committee suggested new strategies for making the new phase of the talks more effective and result-oriented.

The prime minister has already been informed about the proposals aimed at ensuring early results from the dialogue.

The sources said the Taliban committee had agreed to discuss with the prime minister the new plan for the talks.

They said the government committee had placed a proposal before the prime minister to induct new representatives of the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments and the army into it.

A member of the Taliban Shura might be included in the TTP committee, they said.

The sources said that the dissolution of the existing committees and formation of new ones to carry the peace talks forward was also discussed at the meeting.