The Pakistani government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif broke off peace talks with Taliban representatives on 17 February in a setback that brings the country closer to an all-out conflict with the militant movement. The decision by Sharif to cancel a planned round of talks was prompted by a Taliban claim that 23 Pakistan Army soldiers kidnapped in 2010 had been killed. Umar Kharasani, head of the Taliban in Mohmand agency - one of the lawless regions along the Afghan border - said in a video message sent to Pakistan's TV channels: "The killing of FC [Frontier Corps] personnel is the revenge for the blood of our associates. We want to make it clear to the government that we know very well how to avenge the killings of our members." The FC, which is deployed in the northern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province along the Afghan border, is staffed by the Pakistan Army.
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