Pakistani Taliban announces ceasefire to revive peace talks

[March 01, 2014]  ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - The Pakistani Taliban spokesman announced a one-month ceasefire on Saturday aimed at reviving failed peace talks with the government.

"The senior leadership of the Taliban advises all subgroups to respect the Taliban's call for a ceasefire and abide by it and completely refrain from all jihadi activities in this time period," the statement said.

The unilateral ceasefire comes after attempts to hold peace talks between the militants and government collapsed. In recent weeks the Pakistan air force has bombed militant targets in the northwest, and there is speculation that the army will launch an offensive in North Waziristan, a tribal region bordering Afghanistan.

(Writing by Katharine Houreld; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)

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