Talks with Taliban met with setbacks: PM Nawaz

LONDON: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said Tuesday that the process of initiating dialogue with the Taliban had been met with setbacks. “All our efforts are directed towards speeding up this process.” Speaking exclusively to Geo News at the World Islamic Economic Forum, the prime minister added that the responsibility for talks had been given to Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan. “We are serious in our efforts to hold dialogue with the Taliban,” the prime minister said. The prime minister further said: “We want to include all stakeholders in the dialogue process.” Commenting on the situation in Afghanistan, Prime Minister Sharif said the dialogue process was imperative for peace in Afghanistan. “The Afghan Taliban should join the peace council and become part of the political process.” According to the prime minister, Pakistan wanted peace in the entire region.