With bombings and suicide attacks continuing unabated despite the initiation of a peace process with the outlawed Taliban, the Pakistan government today sought a halt to terrorist assaults by militants.
State negotiators wrote a letter to the committee nominated by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) seeking the stopping of terrorist incidents.
The letter was written hours before the Taliban claimed a suicide attack on a bus carrying policemen in Karachi that killed at least 13 this morning.
The letter sought an immediate end to Taliban activities, saying terrorist attacks were having a negative impact on the peace process.
Journalist Irfan Siddiqui, the coordinator of the government committee, said the letter was sent to the Taliban team by fax in the morning. He told Geo News that Taliban committee member Yousuf Shah received the letter.
However, members of the Taliban committee claimed they had not received the letter. They accused the government of conducting dialogue through the media.
Jamaat-e-Islami leader Ibrahim Khan, a member of the Taliban committee, said the TTP political 'shura' or council's recommendations had been conveyed to the government, which was yet to respond.
Khan said there was no meeting scheduled between the two committees till tomorrow. He did not give details.
The two sides have held talks on framing a roadmap for a dialogue, following which the Taliban committee met TTP leaders in the tribal belt for consultations.
The Express Tribune daily reported that state negotiators would meet the Taliban 'shura' at the end of this week or early next week. The meeting will most likely be held in North Waziristan tribal region, it said.
The main issue on the agenda is expected to be the declaration of a ceasefire.
