Sir: The recent report about the ‘change of heart’ by the government in its policy of establishing peace through talks with the Taliban has manifested the limitations of the process. The government wants to bring sustainable peace by negotiations with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and places more emphasis on the process of the talks than the quality of the dialogue. The process however failed to follow the government’s original desire of keeping the talks within the ambit of the constitution. Along the way the government had recognized the TTP as a legitimate stakeholder. It had released the Taliban’s prisoners unconditionally, whereas, the TTP had been violating the ceasefire all along. The terrorist strikes continued unabated across the country, including in a relatively safe Islamabad. Now the government having realized the shortcomings of its earlier strategy is exploring other “alternatives” to deal with this menace. It would be wise for the government to include politicians and civil society in this process, to develop an inclusive and holistic response so that when the time comes to carry out the inevitable military operation, the government has the required support from all the relevant quarters. It would also prepare people for the blowback of the operation. Khushboo AhmadIslamabad