By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistani Taliban Monday said they have suspended peace talks with the government as ‘the government has refused to accept their demand of troops withdrawal from the tribal regions’, a spokesman for the group said.
Tribal elders had been mediating between the Taliban and the government to broker a peace deal and to end violence in the tribal regions and the restive Swat valley in the country’s northwest.
Hundreds of people including security forces have been killed in fighting and attacks on security forces in the tribal regions and other parts of the country.
The new government had announced to hold talks with the militants who would lay down arms.
The Taliban, led by Baitullah Mehsood, had declared a ceasefire with the government and entered into dialogue with the government to end violence.
Taliban spokesman Maulvi Umar admitted that the dialogue process has been deadlocked as ‘the government has refused to accept key demands’.
The army spokesman did not comment over the Taliban statement.
The Taliban spokesman told reporters over phone that Taliban representatives who were holding talks with the tribal elders, mediating between the two sides, have quit the talks due to the government attitude.
He said Taliban had attached expectations to the new government but now “we have realized that the statements of goodwill from the government side were hollow slogans”.
Maulvi Umar claimed that the government is not sincere and serious in the talks. He warned that the government would be responsible if the militants take any action.
He also said that some government institutions do not want success of Taliban-government dialogue process.
Taliban had presented four demands to the government including withdrawal of army from South Waziristan tribal region and Swat valley, exchange of prisoners, compensation to the affected people in Waziristan and Swat and free movement of Taliban activists.
The Taliban spokesman said that besides elements in Pakistani institutions some foreign countries are also active and they do not want ‘peace in the tribal regions’.
Maulvi Umar said that Taliban wanted troops be withdrawn from the tribal regions and Swat before a formal agreement but the government did not agree to the proposal.
He said the troops’ withdrawal from the tribal regions was the major demand and that the Taliban ended the talks after the government did not accept it. He said the dialogue process could resume if the government accept the demand for troops withdrawal.
He claimed that Taliban hold upto 100 soldiers and other security personnel and around 200 militants are in different jails.