ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has assigned the task of paving way for talks with the Taliban to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-S) Chief Maulana Samiul Haq who called on him in Islamabad on Tuesday, media reports said.
A meeting was held between the prime minister and JUI-S chief in Islamabad on Tuesday during which they discussed threadbare matters relating to the talks with the Taliban besides future strategy in this regard.
During the meeting, the JUI-S chief assured the prime minister to apprise him of the emanating situation of his meeting with the Taliban.
The prime minister told the JUI-S chief that the government sincerely desires holding talks with the Taliban and asked him to initiate the talks, reports said.
Later talking to media representatives, the JUI-S chief said that he would try to the best of his ability to help resolve this issue and added that the core issue was to stall the drone attacks.
The JUI-S chief said that the United States should understand that talks with the Taliban were in the interest Pakistan as well as regional peace.
Maulana Samiul Haq demanded that the losses incurred in North Waziristan be compensated and advised the prime minister to revisit the foreign policy of Pakistan.