Pakistani PM says talks with Taliban started
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 31 October 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Pakistani PM says talks with Taliban started, 31 October 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/528b685e14.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
October 31, 2013
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif says talks with the country's Taliban insurgents have begun.
A statement by the Pakistani High Commission said that Sharif told British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg in a meeting on October 31 that he "hoped and prayed the dialogue works within the constitutional framework of Pakistan."
Sharif added that his government "could not wait and see the innocent people being killed in the streets of Pakistan."
Earlier this week Sharif took part in a trilateral meeting with his British counterpart David Cameron and the Afghan President Hamid Karzai in London.
After winning parliamentary elections in May, Sharif's conservative Pakistan Muslim League political party has advocated negotiations with the Taliban as a preferred means of ending their decade-old insurgency.
More than 50,000 Pakistan soldiers, civilians, and militants have been killed in the unrest.
Based on reporting by Reuters and AP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website