A meeting of the Pakistan government and Taliban-nominated negotiators will be held on Monday that is likely to be chaired by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, a cleric considered close to the banned militant group said today.
Yousaf Shah, the coordinator of the negotiating committee nominated by the militants, made the remarks hours after the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan announced a month-long ceasefire to facilitate the resumption of stalled peace talks.
Hardline cleric Samiul Has, a key member of the Taliban committee, had cut short his visit to Saudi Arabia and was on his way back to Pakistan to attend the meeting, Shah told a news conference at Akhora Khattak in Khyber-Pakthunkhwa province.
Referring to the truce announced by the TTP, he appealed to the people to pray for success of the peace talks.
"We have fulfilled our commitment to the nation and the seriousness showed by the Taliban leadership should be reciprocated by the government by taking the peace process forward," he said.
He said he was hopeful the "Taliban leaders would not disappoint the nation".
Earlier, TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid announced the ceasefire to facilitate the resumption of the peace process that was recently suspended by the government over the execution of 23 troops by a Taliban faction.
Even as the two sides were holding talks, the Taliban carried out attacks in several parts of the country. After the peace process was put on hold, military jets targeted Taliban hideouts in the restive tribal areas, killing over 100 terrorists.
