A militant leader said on Friday his group would maintain a ceasefire with the new government, but would keep fighting foreign forces in neighbouring Afghanistan.Faqir Muhammad made the declaration during an address to 5,000 tribesmen who had gathered for the funeral of a local journalist in Bajur Agency. Muhammad is a senior leader of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, an umbrella organisation of militants holding peace talks with the government through tribal intermediaries.
Western officials fear a peace deal would let militants regroup and launch more cross-border attacks on North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and US forces in Afghanistan and even major terror strikes further afield.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban announced a ceasefire in tribal regions last month.
| “We are Muslims and the enemy of infidels. We will continue our jihad in Afghanistan as long as the foreign allied forces are there.” |
The government reiterated on Friday it would only negotiate with those who renounce militancy and violence. “Political engagement” was only possible with those who “don’t allow the use of our territory against any other country and do not help foreign terrorist elements to find hideouts in our territory,” Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said in a statement.