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Government 'fails to make Taliban talks'

Rebels 'disappointed' at negotiator no-show

Taliban negotiators in Pakistan said that government representatives had refused to show up for planned peace talks, claiming confusion over the Taliban's team.

The two sides had been due to gather in Islamabad at 2pm to lay out a "roadmap" for talks to normalise relations between the sides and build foundations for a cessation of hostilities.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif surprised observers last week by announcing a team to begin dialogue with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has been waging a violent insurgency since 2007.

But Taliban chief negotiator Maulana Sami-ul-Haq said that the government team led by Irfan Siddiqui failed to show up as agreed.

"I received a phone call from Irfan Siddiqui, who said confusion still persisted because the composition of the Taliban committee had changed from five to three," Mr Haq said.

"Citing this reason, he said the government committee could not come."

Mr Haq expressed disappointed at the refusal.

The government team consists of senior journalists Mr Siddiqui and Rahimullah Yusufzai, former diplomat Rustam Shah Mohmand and Major Mohammad Aamira, a retired Inter Services Intelligence Agency officer.

The Taliban had initially named five negotiators - Mr Haq, Maulana Abdul Aziz, the chief cleric of Islamabad's Red Mosque, Professor Ibrahim Khan of religious party Jamaat-e-Islami, Mufti Kifayatullah of the JUI-F religious party and cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan.

But Imran Khan declined the offer and Mr Kifayatullah's party withdrew him on Monday, complaining they had not been properly consulted over the talks.

Mr Haq urged the government to come to the negotiating table.

"We once again invite the government committee to come and talk to us. We will not make anything a point of prestige," he told reporters.

"We believe that the pressure is now growing on the prime minister. He makes sincere offers but later comes under US pressure."

The TTP had made no formal demands for the talks.

In the past the Taliban has called for prisoners to be released and for Pakistani troops to be pulled out of tribal areas along the Afghan border as a precondition for any peace talks.

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