Pakistani Taliban cancels ceasefire

ISLAMABAD, April 16 (UPI) -- The Pakistani Taliban announced Wednesday that it was cancelling the month-long ceasefire that was agreed to on March 1 and extended to April 10.

The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan -- or TTP -- issued a statement that blamed the Pakistani government for failing to respond to the ceasefire.

TTP leader Umer Khalid Khurrsani said Wednesday that the Pakistani government hasn't demonstrated its seriousness about peace.

In late January, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced a peace talks initiative, telling the National Assembly that the government would "give peace a final chance" through negotiations with the Taliban and if those peaceful efforts failed, force would be taken to defeat "terrorism."

Peace talks broke down in March but representatives from both the government and Taliban met face-to-face on April 9.

The Pakistani government has not yet responded to TTP's announcement, Interior Ministry spokesman Danial Gillani said Wednesday.

[CNN]