Polish hostage Piotr Stanczak sits between two masked men, before apparently being beheaded with a knife.—AP/File

KOHAT Talks between the government and the Darra Taliban commander Tariq over handing over the body of the slain Polish geologist broke down for the third time on Sunday.

The government has been trying to persuade the militants to hand over the dead body of Polish geologist Piotr Stanczyk, who was slaughtered by militants since February 7.

Taliban sources said the government was reluctant to release Taliban prisoners in return for the dead body and were making lame excuses by questioning whether the body would be identifiable after so many days of decomposition.

The Darra Taliban had kidnapped the Polish geologist working for the OGDCL on September 28 from Attock district of Punjab and shifted him to Orakzai Agency. He remained in the captivity of the militants for four months.

The militants wanted to swap him for 60 companions in government custody but their demand was not met, upon which they killed Stanczyk and also refused to hand over his dead body.

The slain geologist`s sister, Dante, has appealed to the militants to return the dead body of her brother on humanitarian grounds.

The government had offered Rs 100 million for the safe release of the geologist but Taliban refused to accept the money and demanded their men back.

Later, the Polish government announced a reward of $300,000 for any one who would hunt down the killers of its national.