Negotiating with the Taliban was a tactic agreed in the NSC meeting. NS and IK in a rare show agreed to play good and bad cop while military did the hammering and it worked.
IK has never ruled out the use of force. His narrative has been consistent for the past decade that we must exhaust all peaceful options before going ballistic which i believe is a sensible thing to do, considering that our military power is limited.
Thank you Aero. As always, your post changes a lot of things in a discussion. Here is my counter argument. Before you read it, know that I've pissed off many trying to make the same point but people aren't ready to go beyond the little they want to know or already know. Where is the proof that IK and Shariff wanted to play good and bad cops "together"?? I'd like to see it otherwise, it's stuff in the thin air like the laboratories that are trying to assemble voices from the radio waves in the air from 1960's discussions.....
The point here is not IK or Shariff's or anyone else. The point is, your country and this isn't the past anymore. This time, the consequences will be extremely hard. A lot of the funding organizations like the US Government, etc are getting tired of this drama usually supported by the military in Pakistan. There is never stability.
The IK situation is, why does he not see the need to do something democratic, that is, in people's broader safety and security and in the country's interests, discuss the situation with the government so more body bags don't have to surface. Why be so barbaric to such a sensitive issue of human lives?
Next, what will happen if he over takes the government? Next time, Shariff's or others would bring out their millions of people and take over the State? Is that it? You don't win, you bring your people and then get scores killed and then you get the power?
When will this cycle stop? This will lead to the civil war and then breaking of Pakistan....
As these things are happening, you should also consider the default you'll hit, the destruction of economy that's doing well (check your stock market and other investment forecasts and work in progress on this VERY forum).....all of this will be gone and it won't come back. You guys will become the other Afghanistan no one wants and it'll break. Has anyone thought this through?? Knowing ALL these danger to Pakistan and to its people and their lives and on the system, WHY NOT engage in discussions so NO ONE else gets killed. You all meet half way and the country goes back to where it needs to be....that is producing more jobs, projects finishing up, etc etc?