US not to target Taliban holding talks: Sartaj Aziz

The US has agreed to avoid drone attacks on Taliban militants engaged in talks with the Pakistan government, Prime Minister's Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said today.
Aziz told the Senate's Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs that the US had been informed that the recent drone strike which killed Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud had disrupted negotiations with the militants.
He said Washington had given an assurance that militants holding talks will not be targeted, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.
Mehsud was killed hours before a government delegation was to meet with militants earlier this month. The parleys were cancelled and the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan vowed to avenge its chief's death.

The US was strongly criticised by politicians and the media for allegedly "sabotaging" peace talks with the Taliban, who are fighting to impose strict Shariah or Islamic law in the country.
Aziz did not say how it would be determined that the Taliban were holding talks with the government or how the US would be updated by Pakistan about the status of negotiations.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced ahead of the general election in May that he would work for peace through talks. He organised an All-Parties Conference in September that approved a plan for talks.
After initial hesitation, the government selected three religious leaders to go to the tribal areas and hold talks with Taliban emissaries. But the plan fell apart after Mehsud was killed.

The militants chose an anti-peace cleric, Mullah Fazlullah, as Mehsud's successor but the government has announced that it will make a fresh bid for peace.
The US guarantee on drone strikes appears to be a major policy shift by Washington, which had in the past opposed any peace deal with the militants.