 "Pak asks Taliban to stop violence")
The Pakistan government today expressed its inability to carry forward peace talks with the Taliban after the execution of 23 troops and asked the banned group to immediately cease all violent activities.
A day after the fragile peace process was suspended over the execution of the paramilitary troops held hostage by the Taliban since 2010, the government said the militants should stop violence for a "result-oriented and meaningful dialogue".
State negotiators said talks could not progress without any solid steps and asked the Taliban to unconditionally cease violence without any delay and ensure commitment to peace, said a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office.
The state negotiators refused to meet the Taliban- nominated committee yesterday. At an emergency meeting, the negotiators observed that a result-oriented and meaningful dialogue process could not move forward without the end of violence, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.
The negotiators also briefed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and told him that even as the two sides held talks over a 13-day period, a number of people were killed in acts of violence.
The negotiators said talks had been progressing satisfactorily until the Taliban claimed a bomb attack that killed 13 policemen in Karachi last week.
They sought an explanation from the outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan but before it could be received, the 23 personnel were executed.
Following these developments, the negotiators unanimously decided that holding scheduled talks with the Taliban- nominated committee would be a "meaningless effort".
They further said they had been patient but the reaction from the other side was discouraging as violent activities were still continuing.
A day after the fragile peace process was suspended over the execution of the paramilitary troops held hostage by the Taliban since 2010, the government said the militants should stop violence for a "result-oriented and meaningful dialogue".
State negotiators said talks could not progress without any solid steps and asked the Taliban to unconditionally cease violence without any delay and ensure commitment to peace, said a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office.
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The killing of the 23 paramilitary personnel by a Taliban faction in Mohmand tribal region shocked the government, which has engaged the banned group in talks to work out a solution to the decade-old insurgency that has claimed 40,000 lives.
The state negotiators refused to meet the Taliban- nominated committee yesterday. At an emergency meeting, the negotiators observed that a result-oriented and meaningful dialogue process could not move forward without the end of violence, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.
The negotiators also briefed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and told him that even as the two sides held talks over a 13-day period, a number of people were killed in acts of violence.
The negotiators said talks had been progressing satisfactorily until the Taliban claimed a bomb attack that killed 13 policemen in Karachi last week.
They sought an explanation from the outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan but before it could be received, the 23 personnel were executed.
Following these developments, the negotiators unanimously decided that holding scheduled talks with the Taliban- nominated committee would be a "meaningless effort".
They further said they had been patient but the reaction from the other side was discouraging as violent activities were still continuing.