But there is a big difference in negotiating with militants. Unlike in a marketplace, here you don't have the luxury of choice,'' he added. Any attempt to push a terrorist too much can be dangerous. There has to be some give and take. The rules keep changing from time to time as the negotiation progress,'' he said.
Language is an important factor.
A negotiator must speak in a language that the other party is comfortable with. If he speaks Urdu, talk to him in Urdu. Remember, he is negotiating from a position of strength. Even if it is the same terrorist, his moods could change every now and then. He may not have slept last night, so in the morning he will be irritated.