Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan today described the killing of an army general in a Taliban bombing as a "big blow" to proposed peace talks with militant groups and called for a ceasefire.
Khan, whose party rules the restive Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province and is a strong supporter of talks with the Taliban, condemned the attack but stressed the need for negotiations.
He said yesterday's attack in Dir region of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa that killed Maj Gen Sanaullah Khan and two more soldiers was a "big blow" to consensus created at a recent conference of political parties for bringing peace.
He further said any dialogue with the militants must be held within the framework of the Constitution.
Khan defended his stance of backing talks with the militants, saying Pakistan had been fighting the war on terror for the past nine years and the issue could be resolved only through negotiations.
While talking to reporters here, he called for a ceasefire as a first step towards holding peace talks. He claimed enemies do not want Pakistan to hold conclusive talks with the militants.
