Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said Pakistan was in the grip of terrorists and his government’s first priority was to initiate dialogue with them for bringing peace to the country.

Opening an all-party conference, attended by the country’s top political and military leadership, the Prime Minister said the nation must unite to combat terrorism and extremism.

“We must not politicise this issue as it affects the entire nation,” he said. The conference has been convened to arrive at a consensus on a counter-terrorism strategy and forge a united position on opening dialogue with militants.

Emphasising the importance of taking a decision in a democratic manner, the Prime Minister said people’s trust in democracy would strengthen if this government succeeded in tackling terrorism through consensus.

Sharif said dialogue would be preferred over the use of force but the final decision would be taken by the national leadership.

Political leaders, Army Chief and heads of security agencies gathered at the Prime Minister’s House for the meet, convened to come up with a solution for terrorism in the country.

Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lieutenant General Zaheerul Islam briefed the political leadership about the security challenges being faced by the country.

The security situation in Karachi, Balochistan and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) was the main part of the briefing.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan presented a road map to tackle terrorism and sought comments of the national leadership on the issue. He said the government has decided to model the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) after the US Department of Homeland Security which was created in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

A rapid anti-terrorist force would be created for immediate response to any act of terrorism. It would be fully equipped with modern weapons and night-vision helicopters.

A resolution is expected at the conclusion of the conference which would spell out a decision either on dialogue or on the use of force to tackle extremism and militancy.

Prominent among those attending the conference included Syed Khurshid Shah (PPP), Imran Khan (PTI), Maulana Fazlur Rehman (JUI), Syed Munawwar Hasan (JI) and Pir of Pagara.