Pakistani Taliban vow to strike during Ramadan

Islamabad: Pakistani Taliban will continue attacks during Ramadan, rejecting a government announcement it would halt military action in the northwest, a Taliban spokesman said on Sunday.

Violence has surged in Pakistan recently with the military battling Al Qaida- and Taliban-linked fighters in three areas in the northwest, and sporadic missile strikes, attributed to the United States, also aimed at militants.

Pakistani militants have responded to the military pressure with suicide and remotely detonated bomb attacks on the security forces and civilian targets.

'It's a joke'

Deteriorating security has coincided with a faltering economy and political upheaval, as the resignation of President Pervez Musharraf on August 18 was followed a week later by a split in the ruling coalition.

"It's a joke. It isn't a matter of holy or unholy. All months are holy. If they want to end fighting, it should be permanent," Muslim Khan, Taliban spokesman in the Swat Valley, said of the government announcement of the temporary halt in military operations.

"We want enforcement of Sharia laws and will continue our struggle. We haven't got instructions from our top leadership to stop fighting. If they do [order a halt] then we certainly will," he said by telephone.

Pakistan's government said on Saturday security forces would suspend operations from last night for Ramadan, but would retaliate if attacked.

Worries about security and politics have unnerved investors who have sent Pakistani financial markets skidding lower.