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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Pakistan-Taliban peace talks 'under way' | Pakistan-Taliban peace talks 'under way' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The first formal meeting between the Pakistan government and a Taliban-nominated team has begun at an "undisclosed location", officials say. | |
| They are due to start charting a "roadmap" for peace talks to end a decade-long insurgency. | |
| The government side has entered the talks "wholeheartedly", the interior ministry tells the BBC. | |
| Militants from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have been waging an insurgency inside Pakistan since 2007. | Militants from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have been waging an insurgency inside Pakistan since 2007. |
| The talks initiative was announced last week by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, following a spate of attacks. | The talks initiative was announced last week by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, following a spate of attacks. |
| Originally scheduled for 4 February, the meeting was delayed after the government side asked for clarification about the composition of the team representing the Pakistan Taliban. | |
| More than 100 people, including soldiers, died in Taliban attacks across the country in January. Thousands have been killed since the TTP came to the fore in 2007. | More than 100 people, including soldiers, died in Taliban attacks across the country in January. Thousands have been killed since the TTP came to the fore in 2007. |
| Doubts over success | |
| The chief negotiator for the government side, Irfan Siddiqui, said the government committee would attend the talks with "an open mind", the Pakistan Tribune reports. | The chief negotiator for the government side, Irfan Siddiqui, said the government committee would attend the talks with "an open mind", the Pakistan Tribune reports. |
| This much-anticipated meeting marks what some hope could be a start of a peace process in Pakistan, says the BBC's Shahzeb Jillani in Pakistan. Others are deeply sceptical and see it as a sign of weakness on the part of the government, he adds. | |
| Joining Mr Siddiqui on the government team is veteran journalist Rahimullah Yusufzai, former ambassador Rustam Shah Mohmand and a retired major from the ISI intelligence service, Amir Shah. | Joining Mr Siddiqui on the government team is veteran journalist Rahimullah Yusufzai, former ambassador Rustam Shah Mohmand and a retired major from the ISI intelligence service, Amir Shah. |
| The Taliban, who want to see Sharia (Islamic law) imposed throughout Pakistan, have refrained from naming representatives within their own ranks. They instead nominated pro-Taliban religious figures to represent their views. | |
| The three-man TTP team comprises Maulana Sami ul-Haq, known as the "Father of the Taliban"; the chief cleric of Islamabad's Red Mosque, Maulana Abdul Aziz; and the leader of Jamaat-e-Islami party, Ibrahim Khan. | |
| The two sides were originally due to meet on 4 February, but this was delayed after the government questioned the composition of the Taliban-nominated team. | |
| At the time, the Taliban made clear there were no additions to their team and urged the government to start talks and see for themselves whether the team had a mandate. | |
| Since taking office last May, Prime Minister Sharif has come under mounting pressure to bring the violence under control, with many accusing his government of lacking a strategy to deal with the militants, correspondents say. | Since taking office last May, Prime Minister Sharif has come under mounting pressure to bring the violence under control, with many accusing his government of lacking a strategy to deal with the militants, correspondents say. |
| He recently said he wanted to end the insurgency by peaceful means, but has indicated that stronger military action will be used if talks fail. | |
| Correspondents say some in Pakistan are worried the talks will only allow the militants time to gain strength and regroup. Previous attempts to engage the Pakistani Taliban in dialogue have all failed. | |
| In addition to demanding the imposition of Islamic rule in Pakistan, the Taliban say they want US troops to withdraw from the region. |