Bad weather has affected the peace talks as the two committees tasked with the dialogue with the Taliban shura will not be able to meet on Tuesday as expected.
News reports quoting Prof. Ibrahim from the committee nominated by the Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from Peshwar said that the team could not fly into the tribal areas to meet the TTP shura as scheduled due to unfavourable weather conditions. The meeting is to take place in North Waziristan according to Prime Minister Muhammed Nawaz Sharif.
The last time, the TTP nominees had flown by helicopter into North Waziristan and journeyed ahead by road.
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Among the issues that will be discussed when the four-member government appointed committee and the TTP nominees meet the shura is the question of extending the month-long ceasefire announced on March 1. The venue of the meeting is still a secret.
Consultations have been held with the Ministry of Interior and the Inter-Services Intelligence chief before the teams left for the meeting to decide on the agenda.
The TTP has reportedly submitted a list of non combatants it wants released and the government too wants some high profile captives like the late Punjab Governor Salman Taseer's son and former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's son released.
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There are a host of issues relating to foreign militants and compensation and rehabilitation also to be thrashed out, apart from dealing with the issue of the TTP factions which are not agreeing to cease terror attacks.