Islamabad : The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Sunday said the outlawed militant group was still sincere and serious about having peace talks with the government, a media report said.
In a statement, TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said the TTP started talks with all seriousness and sincerity in the larger interest of Islam and Pakistan and never adopted any non-serious attitude during the process of talks, Geo News reported.
The last direct talks between the Pakistan government and the TTP leadership concluded March 26.
Shahid further said that all necessary measures including the declaration of unilateral ceasefire were taken for the creation of congenial atmosphere of talks.
He reiterated that North Waziristan was being targeted by jet fighter bombings, but the TTP was still serious and sincere for continuation of the process of talks and added that “our stand in this regard is like an open book”.
Earlier Sunday, the Pakistan army bombarded terror hideouts in North Waziristan killing over 50 militants, including the mastermind behind the Karachi airport terror attacks.
Pakistan military’s media wing Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that over 50 terrorists were killed in the strike, while a foreign news agency reported the number to be as high as 150.
Military sources said that Abu Abdur Rehman Almani was a key commander of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), the militant group which along with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack on Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport last Sunday night in which 30 people, including 10 militants, were killed.
According to reports, some East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) terrorists were also killed in the air strike.
The East Turkestan Islamic Movement is a separatist militant outfit blamed for numerous terror attacks in China’s restive western region of Xinjiang.
The Chinese government had recently pressed Pakistan to take action against the Uighur separatists based in North Waziristan.
The movement’s principal aim is to establish an independent Islamic state called East Turkestan.