Pak PM calls for negotiations with extremists

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has reportedly called for negotiations with militants in a bid to end the violence, which he said is threatening the very survival of the nation.

Sharif said that he wants to talk to 'all those elements who have unfortunately adopted the path of extremism' but if they rejected his offer, the government was ready to fight them with full force.

According to the BBC, Sharif said that this policy of reconciliation is not confined to just political parties adding that Pakistan's security services and judiciary are responsible for having failed to tackle the militant threat.

He further said that the issue of militancy was linked to Pakistan's foreign policy and the country needed to review its strained relations with Afghanistan.

The report added that the government officials had been preparing a comprehensive security strategy, bringing together delegates from all political parties to try to combat violent extremism; however, the strategy has not been released yet.