Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has condemned the "heinous" killing of 23 kidnapped Pakistani soldiers by a Taliban faction.
Sharif said in a statement on February 17 that such incidents had an "extremely negative impact" on ongoing peace talks with the Taliban.
A faction of the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from the northwestern district of Mohmand said late on February 16 that they had killed 23 paramilitary soldiers they kidnapped in 2010 to avenge the killing of Taliban militants in government custody.
Chief government negotiator Irfan Siddiqui said that a scheduled round of talks on February 17 would be "purposeless" after the announcement of the soldiers' deaths.
He said government negotiators would meet on February 18 to decide on a future course of action.
The government announced peace talks with the Taliban in late January following a seven-year insurgency.
About 60 more people have died in Islamist-linked violence since then.
Sharif said in a statement on February 17 that such incidents had an "extremely negative impact" on ongoing peace talks with the Taliban.
A faction of the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from the northwestern district of Mohmand said late on February 16 that they had killed 23 paramilitary soldiers they kidnapped in 2010 to avenge the killing of Taliban militants in government custody.
Chief government negotiator Irfan Siddiqui said that a scheduled round of talks on February 17 would be "purposeless" after the announcement of the soldiers' deaths.
He said government negotiators would meet on February 18 to decide on a future course of action.
The government announced peace talks with the Taliban in late January following a seven-year insurgency.
About 60 more people have died in Islamist-linked violence since then.
