Pakistan holds landmark talks with Taliban

Pakistani security officials standing guard outside the gate of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House. - EPA

Islamabad (AFP) - Negotiators for Pakistan's government and the Taliban called for a ceasefire after meeting Thursday in the first round of talks aimed at ending the militants' bloody seven-year insurgency.

The two sides gathered in Islamabad for a preliminary meeting that lasted more than three hours to chart a "roadmap" for future discussions, amid deep scepticism over whether dialogue can yield a lasting peace deal.