The Taliban statement came as a pair of suicide bombers attacked a court complex in the northwestern city of Peshawar.

One of the attackers was shot to death, but the other detonated his explosives in a packed courtroom, killing four people and wounding over 40 in the attack.

The Taliban have been waging a bloody insurgency against the government for over five years that has killed thousands of people.

The group first said it was open to negotiations at the end of last year in a letter sent to a local newspaper and a video released by Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud.

Rehman Malik, who was interior minister until the government’s term ended over the weekend, said in February that Islamabad was ready to hold peace talks, and appeared to drop an earlier demand that the Taliban lay down their weapons and renounce violence prior to negotiations — a position rejected by the militants.

Politicians from the country’s main political parties also called for peace talks with the Taliban in February, at a meeting held in Islamabad to discuss the issue.

But Pakistani Taliban spokesman Ahsanullah Ahsan said in a video sent to reporters on Monday that the group “has temporarily postponed the offer of negotiations” after a “non-serious response” by the government.

He accused the army of continuing its war against the Taliban in order to receive military aid from the United States.

“Generals and politicians are sacrificing the country for their own interests,” said Ahsan.

He called on Pakistanis to boycott upcoming national elections in May, saying Islamic law should be enforced instead.

“If this system is not rejected, the long, dark night of oppression will linger,” said Ahsan.