8 killed in rare drone strike outside Pakistan's tribal areas

Aziz did not say how it would be determined that Taliban were holding talks or how Pakistan will update the US about the status of negotiations.

The Haqqani network, based in North Waziristan Agency, has been blamed for devastating attacks on US and foreign forces in Afghanistan.

Despite frequent calls from the US for a crackdown on the group, Pakistan has refused to act.  

The group's main financier, Nasiruddin Haqqani, was shot dead in Islamabad on November 11.

Pakistan's Foreign Office strongly condemned today's drone strike, saying such attacks were a violation of the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.