ISLAMABAD. In the aftermath of the deadly gun and bomb attack at Karachi airport on Sunday night, the government on Monday summoned an emergency meeting of the Cabinet Committee on National Security (CCNS) to discuss the future of peace talks.
While a date for the meeting has not yet been disclosed, it is learnt that the CCNS will convene this week at the PM House, with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the chair.
The decision to convene a meeting was announced hours after the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in a statement claimed responsibility for the airport attack that left 18 dead.
Talks to end the TTP's bloody seven-year insurgency have been under way since February.
Earlier on March 1, the TTP had announced a month-long ceasefire breaking a deadlock that was reached between mediating teams of the government and Taliban committee.
Within 24 hours of the ceasefire announcement, the government had also made public its decision to halt air strikes on militant hideouts.
On April 16, the TTP decided against extending the ceasefire and said that the government had failed to respond positively to the militant organisation's ceasefire of more than 40 days.
Nawaz has pushed for a peaceful solution to the security crisis in the country, but critics point out that talks are merely a subterfuge being used by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to give them time to rearm and gain strength.
Read more: TTP claims attack on Karachi airport
In a previous CCNS meeting, it was decided that peace negotiations would be held only if militants agree to disarm otherwise force would be used against them.
In recent weeks, the military has conducted several air attacks on militant hideouts in North Waziristan which the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said were retaliation to the killings of civilian and security forces personnel by terrorists in Fata, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Karachi.