Pakistani Taliban declares end to ceasefire with government

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) said the government had not released over 100 prisoners as promised and had not appointed negotiating teams for talks

The month-long ceasefire was negotiated with the aid of the Afghan Taliban, which is a separate movement

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Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ramped up attacks on its side of the border after the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, leaving Islamabad scrambling to reach a peace deal. Photo: AFP

Published: 1:35pm, 10 Dec 2021

Taliban militants in Pakistan have declared an end to a month-long ceasefire arranged with the aid of the Afghan Taliban, accusing the government of breaching terms including a prisoner release agreement and the formation of negotiating committees.

The Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), is a separate movement from the Afghan Taliban and has fought for years to overthrow the government in Islamabad and rule with its own brand of Islamic sharia law.

Last month’s ceasefire, which was always set to run until Thursday with the possibility of extending if both parties agreed, was the latest in a series of attempts to broker a settlement to end a conflict that has killed thousands.

The Afghan Taliban’s shock overthrow of the Western-backed government in August gave the talks fresh impetus but the TTP accused Islamabad of failing to respect the ceasefire agreement.

It said the government had not released more than 100 prisoners as promised and had not appointed negotiating teams to conduct talks. It also said security forces had carried out raids while the ceasefire was in force.