Pakistan Minister Says Mehsud Killing a 'Drone Attack on Peace Process'
Pakistani Interior minister Chaudhry Nisar on Saturday slammed the U.S. strike that killed Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud as a "drone attack on the peace process," saying a team of religious clerics was about to meet the Taliban with a view to starting peace talks when Mehsud was killed.
"Brick by brick in the last seven weeks we tried to evolve a process by which we could bring peace to Pakistan and what have you (the U.S.) done?" he said.
"You have scuttled it on the eve, 18 hours before a formal delegation of respected ulema (religious scholars) was to fly to Miranshah and hand over this formal invitation."
Earlier on Saturday, Pakistan's information minister said the country will not allow the death of Mehsud to derail proposed peace talks.
Pervez Rasheed told reporters the government wanted to press ahead with its plan to negotiate with Mehsud's Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
"We can say that this time drone struck the peace talks but we will not let the peace talks die," Rasheed said.
Mehsud was killed in a U.S. drone strike in North Waziristan tribal district on Friday, throwing the talks process into doubt a day after the government said it was taking steps to initiate dialogue.
Rasheed said Pakistan was committed to peace through talks despite losing 40,000-50,000 civilians, soldiers, and police to militant violence.
"So I am sure that the other party will show the same spirit which we had shown," he said.
The TTP's ruling council was locked in talks Saturday to choose a replacement for Mehsud, who had led the network since the death of its founder Baitullah Mehsud in 2009.
Opposition politician Imran Khan condemned the drone strike as an attempt to "sabotage" peace efforts.
Source: Agence France Presse
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