17 Apr 2014

Pakistani Taliban won't extend ceasefire

11:06 am on 17 April 2014

The Pakistani Taliban has refused to extend a ceasefire which it declared last month to facilitate peace talks with the Pakistani government.

The ceasefire, which had been announced on 1 March, effectively ends the Taliban's truce with the government.

The BBC reports the Taliban said its central council took a unanimous decision not to extend the ceasefire.

A Pakistani Taliban spokesman said the move was due to the government ignoring their demands, but that they remained committed to peace talks.

There have been reports that while talks have been continuing, they have been deadlocked.

Peace talks with the Pakistani Taliban were a key campaign pledge for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in last year's elections.

There has been no immediate response from the Pakistan government to the Taliban announcement.