Pak says preliminary talks with Taliban 'paying off'

The Pakistan government has confirmed that preliminary talks with the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group to negotiate a peace pact has started to 'pay-off'.

A senior government official, on condition of anonymity, said that the government had done a lot of homework before reestablishing contacts with the TTP for negotiations on the peace process, and their damage control efforts had started showing results, the Express Tribune reports.

According to the report, the two sides have discussed several issues in the exploratory talks, including the possibility of the TTP snapping ties with al Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi sectarian extremist group.

The security analysts believe the government has somehow persuaded the TTP to stop their deadly attacks across the country.

Earlier, the killing of the Taliban's second-in-command, Waliur Rehman, in a U.S. drone strike in May had damaged the peace process.

The government is also reportedly undertaking a comprehensive national counter-terrorism strategy with political parties.

The Taliban also claimed that anti-Pakistan militant groups were under increasing pressure to negotiate with the government, before the 2014 withdrawal of U.S.-led coalition forces from Afghanistan.