ISLAMABAD, Nov 29: Commanders of the Haqqani group and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) held talks on Monday with elders of the Kurram Agency, including two lawmakers from the tribal agency for restoration of peace in Parachinar which has remained cut off from the rest of country for three years.

The secret meeting, held in a guesthouse in G-6 area, was attended by members of Turi tribes and commanders of the TTP and the Haqqani group.

The tribes were represented by MNA Sajid Hussain Turi and some elders and the other side by Qari Taj, the commander of the Haqqani group in Kurram Agency, and Karim Mushtaq, TTP commander for Kurram and Orakzai agencies, who is associated with Fazal Saeed. Fazal Saeed carries a head money of Rs5 million. MNA Munir Khan Orakzai also attended the meeting.

According to sources, the meeting failed to reach any agreement when the militant commanders said that the Thall-Parachinar Road would be reopened only if it would also be used by convoys of Taliban militants and if Turi tribes assured that they would not hinder militants' movement to and from Afghanistan via Kurram Agency.

Sources said that another meeting of 50 members from both sides would be held on Tuesday in Islamabad for implementing the Murree agreement which requires resettlement of displaced tribes, compensation for those who lost their loved-ones in clashes and reopening of the Thall-Parachinar road.

Sources said that both sides were willing to implement the agreement, although there were differences over the use of Thall-Parachinar Road because Turi tribes were not willing to allow Taliban movement on the road and wanted it to be used only by local people.

One achievement of Monday's meeting was that the militant commanders agreed to free members of the Turi tribes currently in custody of local Taliban. Dawn

Sources privy to the meeting told that two Taliban commanders had been staying in Islamabad for three days although it was not confirmed by MNAs Sajid Hussain Turi and Munir Orakzai. Dawn

“Right now I am busy in a meeting and I cannot talk about today's meeting,” MNA Munir Orakzai told when asked if the meeting had failed because of Taliban's insistence on using the Thall-Parachinar road.

Kurram agency has remained cut off from the rest of the country because the road is under control of terrorists who have attacked passengers' convoys several times, taken members of Turi tribes hostage and killed commuters.