ISLAMABAD: Another day, another claim by Taliban militants of having killed security personnel, and yet another tailormade condemnation of the tragic incident by the prime minister: `The country cannot afford more bloodshed.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif paid ceremonial tribute to the 23 fallen soldiers of Frontier Corps (FC), but maintained an uncanny silence over the ongoing talks between the government and the outlawed Tehreek-iTaliban Pakistan (TTP) whether his government was still interested in carrying forward the peace process or had decided to take militants head on.

At best, the prime minister said: `Following a decision of the all-party conference, we have wholeheartedly initiated peace talks, but whenever negotiations reach an encouraging stage the process is sabotaged. This is an extreme tragic situation over which the entire nation is sad.

He said incidents such as this one were negatively affecting peace negotiations.Otherwise accessible, spokesperson for the prime minister and Information Minister Senator Parvez Rashid could not be contacted despite repeated attempts to shed light on a rather muted response from the government to yet another dastardly attack on the writ of the state.

Last week, 13 police commandos were killed in a bomb attack in Karachi claimed by the TTP. And now 23 FC personnel, who were kidnapped by Mohmand Agency-based militants in 2010, have been killed.

Talking to Dawn, former ambassador Rustam Shah Mohmand, a member of the government negotiating team, said the killing of FC men had virtually led the dialogue to a dead-end which could be revived only by some `dramatic announcement` by the TTP leadership.

The dramatic development, he explained, could be an unconditional announcement of ceasefire by the Taliban, coupled with the release of high-profile captives, including sons of former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and late governor Punjab Salman Taseer, and Dr Ajam Khan, vice-chancellor of Islamia College University.

The ball is now in TTP`s court. The only option left with the government negotiators at the moment to resume talks was tangible positive gestures from the other side, said Mr Mohmand, who was included in the government committee on the recommendation of the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.

The TTP statement thatthe FC personnel might have been massacred by the Taliban in Mohmand Agency in retaliation to the killing of their fighters by security agencies was a dangerous development for talks, he said, adding: `The TTP hasn`t dissociated itself from the murder of the FCmen which has put the government in an extremely difficult situation vis-à-vis the Taliban committee on talks.

Irfan Siddiqui, coordinator of the government committee, was not available for personal comments, but a handout issued by the Prime Minister Officebroke the story of government committee`s refusal to meet the Taliban negotiators in Akora Khattak.

The planned meeting after the carnage of FC men would be futile, he was quoted as saying in the handout.

`People of Pakistan are expecting positive results, but back-toback tragic incidents are negatively affective talks.

Mr Siddiqui admitted that currently the dialogue was not moving in the right direction and, therefore, the government committee will meet on Tuesday (today) to discuss future course of action.

Talking to BBC, R a h i m u 1 1 a h Yousufzai, another member of the government team, also said the execution of FC men had created abroke the story of government committee`s refusal to meet the Taliban negotiators in Akora Khattak.

The planned meeting after the carnage of FC men would be futile, he was quoted as saying in the handout.

`People of Pakistan are expecting positive results, but back-toback tragic incidents are negatively affective talks.

Mr Siddiqui admitted that currently the dialogue was not moving in the right direction and, therefore, the government committee will meet on Tuesday (today) to discuss future course of action.

Talking to BBC, R a h i m u 1 1 a h Yousufzai, another member of the government team, also said the execution of FC men had created aperilous situation for talks.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan condemned the killing of FC men, but raised some pertinent questions. He said this barbaric act was against the teachings of Islam and must be condemned in the strongest terms, but also needed to be investigated at certain level.

He expressed the hope that the government and military would let the nation know the veracity, or otherwise, of this shocking news.

Mr Khan regretted that the FC men had been detained since 2010 in an area Mohmand Agency which had ostensibly been `cleared` by the military. Yet the government at the time, the military and the present government, he lamented, had done nothing for safe release of these soldiers who appeared to have been simply forgotten.

`The nation should be informed why this neglect has happened. Each Pakistani life is precious and our soldiers have rendered sacrifices for safeguarding the country and should never be `abandoned` like this,` a press statement attributed to Mr Khan said.

Clearly this was also a direct sabotage of peace talks in the most barbaric way possible, he added.