Killing of 23 soldiers aimed at sabotaging peace talks: Sharif

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today said the gruesome killing of 23 soldiers by the Taliban was aimed at sabotaging the peace process at a decisive stage.

Condemning the incident, Sharif said such incidents are having a negative impact to the peace process, a statement issued his office said.

Pakistan cannot afford this bloodshed," he said.

Sharif said the government had gone in for talks with the Taliban with "honesty and seriousness" based on the decision taken the All Party Conference.

"Whenever, we come to a decisive stage, this process is sabotaged," he said.

His statement did not give inkling as to what the government will do now.

In a video statement sent to media outlets late night, Mohmand Agency Taliban chief Umar Khalid Khurasani said that they killed the FC soldiers yesterday to avenge what he said was the custodial killing of Taliban fighters in Pakistan.

The soldiers were kidnapped in 2010 from Shongari checkpost in Mohmand Agency.