A Pakistani Taliban militant leader, accused by the government of masterminding the killing of former premier Benazir Bhutto [Images], on Sunday expressed willingness to hold talks with political parties opposed to President Pervez Musharraf [Images], which swept the general election.

Maulvi Omar, a spokesman for Pakistan Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud, told reporters in the northwestern city of Peshawar that rebels welcomed the victory of anti-Musharraf forces, which should not repeat the mistakes of the President.

Quoting from a statement by Mehsud, whom the Musharraf regime accuses of planning Bhutto's assassination, Omar said, "The Taliban movement welcomes the victory of the anti-Musharraf parties in the polls and announces its willingness to enter into negotiations with them for bringing peace to the tribal areas."

"The Taliban are ready for negotiations with the parties as long as they do not re-impose war on the fighters. If they do so, then the Taliban will continue their activities. The Taliban have no enmity with the political parties that have got the people's mandate and they should avoid repeating the mistakes of Musharraf's government."

Omar also indicated that the opposition parties had won the February 18 polls because the Taliban had gained the sympathy of the people by opposing the policies of Musharraf, which were 'dictated' by the United States.

He also warned the parties forming the new government that while the militants did not want fighting, they would not hesitate to retaliate if war was 'imposed' on them.

Top leaders of the Pakistan People's Party and PML-N, which are set to form the next government after emerging the two largest parties in the parliamentary polls, have said they will use a mix of dialogue and force to tackle militancy in Pakistan's restive tribal areas.

PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif has also said the people's mandate in the polls showed that Pakistanis did not want the US to dictate the country's policies, including in the war against terrorism.

Hundreds of people have died in a recent wave of suicide attacks across Pakistan. Mehsud has been blamed by Musharraf for masterminding many of the attacks, including the assassination of Bhutto, but the Taliban commander has denied involvement in her killing.

Pakistani authorities suspended military operations against Mehsud's followers in South Waziristan after he recently announced a unilateral truce.