Pak-Taliban talks 'deadlocked' following 23 soldiers' killing

A deadlock had been reached between the Taliban and government negotiators, a senior Pakistani professor has said.

Professor Ibrahim said that Maulana Samiul Haq had called Irfan Siddiquie, coordinator of the government committee, to hold peace talks with negotiators representing the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Siddiquie, however, informed him that the scheduled meeting between the two sides would not take place.

According to Dawn News, Khan appealed both parties to abstain from violent activities.

He also said both the committees should sit together and not meeting was worrisome.

Meanwhile, Maulana Yousuf Shah, who acted as contact person for the TTP, said that a meeting of the Taliban negotiating team headed by Maulana Samiul Haq has been held.

He further said that it was regrettable that the government's committee, branding the mediators as the Taliban, had refused to meet them, the report added.