By Xinhua
Islamabad : A Pakistani Taliban militant commander in the northwestern region Sunday said his group was ready for peace talks with the new government.
“The Taliban movement welcomes the victory of anti-Musharraf political parties in the election and announces its willingness to enter into negotiations with them for bringing peace in the restive tribal area,” self-proclaimed Taliban spokesman Maulvi Omar said, quoting a statement of their local leader Baitullah Mehsud.
“Taliban is ready for negotiations with the political parties as long as they do not re-impose war on them. If they do so, Taliban will continue their activities against them,” Omar said.
“Taliban has no enmity with the political parties and these parties who have got the mandate of the people should strive for bringing peace and avoid repeating the mistakes of the Musharraf government,” he said.
“The victory of political parties was due to Taliban who gained sympathies of the people by giving their blood and as a result, people rejected the policies of the US and Musharraf and gave victory to their opposing political forces,” he said.