Nawaz Sharif calls for dialogue to end terrorism

Islamabad, July 11: 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 militant-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 on Wednesday. Leaders of all major political and religious parties would be invited for a grand conference to devise the policy.

Having 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 gift people of this region with peace.

He said that tribal parliamentarians are the real stakeholders and their input and consultation for finalizing the road map for peace in the tribal regions is a 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 Sharif 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 with the new government after a US drone killed their deputy chief Wali-ur-Rahman Mehsud.

IANS