KOHAT: The coordinator of the negotiation committee of the Taliban, Maulana Yousuf Shah, has said that peace talks with the government will resume on Monday (today).

Talking to a private TV channel, he said there were no differences among the ranks of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and media reports claiming this were based on hearsay. All factions of the Taliban were united and represented only by the TTP. He expressed the hope that the TTP would extend ceasefire to take the dialogue to its logical conclusion.

“It is not an easy task which can be accomplished in a few days because about 52,000 people have died and over 700 mosques have been destroyed in fighting [between the government and Taliban],” he said. “A murder case takes years to solve whereas talks between the TTP and the government involve more thorny and sensitive issues,” he added.