Talks between Pakistan government and Taliban delayed
(Vatican Radio) In Pakistan, peace talks between the government and the Taliban set
to begin on Tuesday in the capital, Islamabad, were delayed for the time being. Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif announced last week that the peace talks would go ahead, in
an effort to end the insurgency which has killed thousands of people since 2007.
Pakistan’s
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was elected last May with a mandate to end to conflict
with the Taliban, and said the talks would begin despite continuing violence which
killed over 100 people in January alone. The two delegations will have a modest initial
goal – to chart a roadmap for dialogue. In an initial telephone conversation, the
members of both delegations vowed to hold serious dialogue to address the terrorism
issue.