Spokesperson for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Khalid Balti alias Muhammad Khorasani was killed in the Afghan province of Nangarhar, Aaj News reported on Monday.
He was involved in several terrorist attacks in Pakistan.
Khorasani became the TTP's spokesperson in 2014 after the group's former spokesperson Shahidullah Shahid declared allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, also known as Da'ish.
Ceasefire agreement has ended: TTP links extension to release of two its key activists
Last week, Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar had said that talks with TTP were on hold, adding that Pakistan will continue its operations to take them on "until they get rid of the menace".
Addressing a press conference on January 5, the DG ISPR said that ceasefire with the militant outfit expired on December 9 last year, adding that Pakistan started talking to TTP at the request of Afghanistan's present rulers.
Talks with TTP on hold, operations to continue: DG ISPR
"The ceasefire was a confidence-building measure taken ahead of talks with these violent non-state actors on the request of the current Afghan government," he said.
However, he said there were some problems and conditions that were non-negotiable from our side and "so there is no ceasefire".
Ceasefire agreed between govt, TTP: Fawad Chaudhry
In December 2021, Khorasani had announced an end to the ceasefire with Pakistan which came into effect on November 9, 2021, accusing Pakistani authorities of reneging on promises made in the initial stages of “peace” talks and continued raids against TTP militants.
On November 8, 2021, Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry said that a complete ceasefire agreement had been reached between the government and the banned TTP.
The minister added that talks with the TTP were taking place within the ambit of the Constitution and that Afghan authorities facilitated the discussions.
"The talks will focus on state sovereignty, national security, peace, social and economic stability in the areas concerned," he said.
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