Taliban in Pakistan may want a cease-fire

The Pakistani Taliban have declared a cease-fire to encourage nascent peace talks with the government, a senior commander said, a move that appears to show the deadly group’s willingness to strike a deal.

It was unclear Tuesday whether all the militants claiming to be under the Taliban banner would obey the directive, which the commander said had been in effect for a month. The Pakistani Taliban is believed to be divided into many factions. There has also been significant militant violence in the country in recent weeks.

Hours after the Taliban announcement, reporters quoted Interior Minister Rehman Malik as saying that the government had not held formal talks with the Taliban. “But if the Taliban has announced a cease-fire, we welcome it,” Malik said.

(아주경제 앤드류 이 기자)

Park Sae-jin swatchsjp@ajunews.com