Islamabad: The Pakistani Taliban says it's ready for peace talks with the government.
Spokesman for the militants Maulvi Omar said that they were willing to lay down arms if the Pakistan army stopped operations against them.
The operations are currently on in Bajaur and Swat in the frontier province.
Omar said they would help the government rid the region of foreign militants.
It's not clear if Omar is with the Tehreek-i-Taliban of Beitullah Mehsud or represents another faction.
The government has said it will respond once the militants lay down arms.
Amidst a special session of Pakistan's parliament to evolve a new anti-terror strategy, the local Taliban had asked the government to give them an opportunity to brief lawmakers on their stance.
Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said the militants, being a party in the "so-called war on terror", should be given an opportunity to inform elected representatives about their stand.
Khan described the in-camera briefing given by security officials to lawmakers during the joint session of parliament as one-sided.
The Taliban rejects all statements made by security officials during their briefing for elected representatives.
"Security officials showed movies to the members of parliament in which Taliban are slaying people but did not show them those movies of innocent children killed in attacks
on madrassas and other people who died in air strikes by Pakistani jets," he said.
The in-camera briefing had no mention of the innocent people killed in security operations and the "millions forced to leave their homes", Khan added.
President Asif Ali Zardari convened a special session of the National Assembly and Senate on Wednesday so that lawmakers could be briefed on the security situation across the country and the war on terror.
The parliamentarians are also expected to evolve a homegrown anti-terror policy during the session, which had been adjourned till Monday.
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