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Pakistan to pursue talks with Taliban, says PM

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, Nov 5, IRNA -- Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has told the cabinet ministers that his government will pursue talks with Taliban despite the killing of its chief Hakimullah Mehsud in a recent US drone strike.

The cabinet meeting was called to review the situation arising out of Mehsud killing as the government accused the US of sabotaging the proposed talks with the Taliban.

A three-member team of top religious leaders were assigned the task to visit Waziristan tribal region on last Saturday to discuss exploratory talks with the Taliban on agenda and venue for the talks, Interior Minister, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan says.

But the visit was cancelled due to the U.S. attack in North Waziristan on Friday.

Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid says the group will not talk to the government and will take revenge of their slain leader.

Nawaz Sharif condemned the US drone attacks and said the drone strikes have severely damaged governmental efforts for dialogue and establishment of peace but expressed the confidence that the process would not be allowed to be derailed.

"If cooperation they (US) cannot extend cooperation to end terrorism then at least the peace process should not be damaged," an official statement quoted the prime minister as saying at the cabinet meeting.

The prime minister said Pakistan has every right to take its own decisions in the interest of the country.

He pointed out that continuation of the regrettable and condemnable drone strikes indicates that Pakistans viewpoint on establishment of durable peace and elimination of terrorism on sustainable basis has not been understood.

Nawaz Sharif said the parliamentary conference in September, which had called for Taliban talks, had proved that entire political and military leadership‚ people‚ media and civil society wanted resolution of the issue of terrorism through serious and meaningful dialogue.

The prime minister said Pakistan had to pay the price of terrorism more than anyone else and it is fully conscious of the seriousness of the issue. However‚ the country should be allowed to resolve the issue according to its own strategy.

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