Pakistani president warns of other options if Taliban talks fail

Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain has warned that other options could be used against the Taliban militants if peace talks with them could not proceed. Pakistani Taliban refused to talk to the government after a U.S. drone killed their chief, Hakimullah Mehsud in North Waziristan tribal region on November 1st. Taliban had also announced revenge attacks after Mehsud's death. A roadside bomb killed at least four soldiers and injured seven more in North Waziristan on Thursday. A Taliban splinter group claimed responsibility. President Mamnoon Hussain said the government wants to resolve issues with Taliban militants through dialogue. "Only if the talks fail then we will look into other options," the president told the media in Karachi late Thursday. Pakistan had accused the United States of sabotaging peace process with the Taliban after the drone attack which killed the Taliban chief. A day after the drone strike, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had publicly condemned the U.S. attack and had disclosed that the U.S. officials had assured the Pakistani government not to target Hakimullah Mehsud. He said the United States has violated its commitment and tried to derail the peace process. Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan had appointed Maulvi Fazalullah as their new chief, who analysts say is also a hardliner and that his appointment has dashed hopes for talks. The government has admitted that currently there is no dialogue process with the Taliban.