Pakistani Taliban Ceasefire Ends, Group Still Open to Talks

Leaders Objected to Extending Ceasefire After a Month

A month-long Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ceasefire has come to an end and will not be extended, according to TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid, who said some of the leaders rejected a request to extend it.

What this means for the peace talks with the Pakistani government is unclear, but Shahid said the group remains willing to continue to talks even in the absence of the ceasefire.

TTP negotiators had sought to get Pakistan to release detainees who they said were “innocent family members” of TTP fighters, and their inability to get that concession likely played a role in the opposition to extending the ceasefire.

Shahid also cited continued military operations against the TTP as a motivator. The Pakistani government has not issued any statement about the end of the ceasefire, or what the status of the talks is.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.