Hostage crisis: No breakthrough in talks between Pakistan government and Taliban militants

Peshawar: No breakthrough was achieved on Tuesday in talks between the federal government and the Taliban militants, who seized a counter-terrorism centre and took some people as hostages in Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province two days ago.

The standoff began on Sunday when an arrested militant, who was being interrogated at the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) police station inside the Bannu Cantonment, snatched an AK-47 from the police and opened fire. He then freed other wanted terrorists being held at the building and together they took control of the compound.

They also took several policemen hostage. At least two policemen were killed in the exchange of fire, prompting authorities to put the Army’s special forces on alert. The situation in Bannu remained tense on Tuesday as police and security agencies have cordoned off the CTD compound from all directions and asked residents to remain indoors.

As the deadlock continued for the third day, a security alert was issued and all schools and colleges in Bannu district remained shut. Mobile services in the cantonment and the surrounding areas were also suspended, officials said.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) remains steadfast with the demand of wanting a safe passage of the TTP prisoners either to South or North Waziristan tribal districts. It said the attitude of the security forces since the beginning of the standoff indicates that they are not willing to accept their demands and are adamant on launching operations.

A TTP spokesman, Muhammad Khurasani, said on Monday that they took this step after reports of inhuman attitudes of the security officers with their prisoners in the CTD police station.

The TTP, set up as an umbrella group of several militant outfits in 2007, last month called off a ceasefire agreed upon with the federal government in June and ordered its militants to stage terrorist attacks across the country.

Meanwhile, at least 50 militants stormed into a police station in Khyber Paktunkhwa province early on Tuesday injuring a police constable, police said.

The incident took place around 1 am on Tuesday in Wana, situated in the tribal district of South Waziristan. “More than 50 militants stormed into the police station and opened fire, injuring a constable. They took away ammunition, weapons and other equipment,” the district’s chief police officer said.

One of the militant was killed in the retaliatory fire. The rest have managed to flee, police said. A search operation is currently underway to nab the culprits, police added.