Taliban 'holding peace talks with Pakistan'

The Taliban in Pakistan is holding exploratory peace talks with the country's government, according to a senior militant commander.

But the United States - the source of billions of dollars of aid vital to Pakistan - has labelled the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan a terrorist group and is unlikely to be happy with the developments.
Past peace deals with the group have served only to give it time to consolidate, launch fresh attacks and impose its austere version of Islam on segments of the population.

The discussions are focused on the South Waziristan region on the Afghan border and could be expanded to try to reach a comprehensive deal.
The TTP, which is allied to the Afghan movement fighting Nato, has made several demands, including the release of prisoners. An ethnic Pashtun tribal mediator described the talks as "very difficult".

"Yes, we have been holding talks, but this is just an initial phase. We will see if there is a breakthrough," said the senior Taliban commander, who asked not to be identified.

Rahimullah Yusufzai, a Pakistani expert on the Taliban, said: "The US won't be happy.
"If there is less pressure from Pakistan on the militants then they (the Pakistani Taliban) will turn their attention to Afghanistan."