Strategy towards Taliban talks: Prime Minister, CoAS, others give final touches

Prime Min-ister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday chaired a high-level meeting to review the overall security situation. Chief of the Army Staff General Raheel Sharif and Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan briefed the Prime Minister. The meeting was also attended by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khwaja Muhammad Asif, Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Ishfaq Nadeem, Director General ISI and Special Assistant to Prime Minister Tariq Fatimi.
Meanwhile, a member of the Taliban's negotiation committee, Maulana Yousuf Shah, said on Tuesday that the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan had decided to maintain its existing team for the dialogue process with the government. Shah, after holding a telephonic conversation with Taliban leaders, announced that the composition of existing committee would remain intact. He further said the Taliban were serious about talks and no demands were put forward from either side as yet.