Nawaz Sharif calls for dialogue to end terrorism

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has told the tribal lawmakers that option of dialogue should be kept open to end terrorism.

Sharif has invited members of parliament from the militants- infested tribal regions to seek their input for a proposed national security policy that will also include possibility of talks with the militants, Xinhua reported Wednesday. Leaders of all major political and religious parties would be invited for a grand conference to devise the policy.

Having had proposed to hold dialogue with the Taliban militants during his election campaign and after his party's victory in May, Sharif said: "The window of dialogue should be kept open all the time."

Showing his deep pity over the lawlessness and economic backwardness prevailing in the tribal regions due to terrorism, Sharif has expressed his desire to give peace as a gift to the people of the regions.

He said that tribal parliamentarians are the real stakeholders and their input and consultation for finalising road map for peace in the tribal regions is must.

"Peace and security are of paramount importance for economic growth as both are intertwined. Pakistan has suffered long at the hands of terrorism and we cannot afford inaction anymore. Curbing terrorism is my government's top most priority," a statement quoted Sharim as saying.

Reiterating the resolve of his government to eliminate terrorism, he said, "We have no option except vigorously pursuing a well-planned and coordinated strategy to find a meaningful solution to the problem of terrorism."

The meeting also discussed various proposals and recommendations put forward by the tribal parliamentarians to bring the area into the national mainstream.

Pakistani Taliban, blamed for most of the terror attacks, last month withdrew their peace talks offer to the new government after a US drone killed their deputy chief Wali-ur-Rahman Mehsud.