Taliban dealwith Pakistani tribe cause of concern to US

THE Taliban is negotiating a peace deal with a Pakistani tribe in the northwest, tribal elders said yesterday, that could give militants access to remote strategic areas on the Afghan border.

The talk of a deal between members of the Haqqani network — one of the most dangerous Taliban factions — and the Turi tribe in the Kurram region is likely to raise concerns in the US, which has been demanding Pakistan gets tough with the militants fighting Western forces across the border.

“We are holding talks to end violence and fighting in the region. People have become fed up with fighting,” Sajid Hussain, a member of parliament involved in the talks, told Reuters.