Nawaz Sharif pushes for peace talks with militants

Islamabad: Pakistan’s prime minister says his government will pursue peace talks with militants despite a recent spate of attacks, naming a four-member committee to facilitate the talks. [caption id=“attachment_1365137” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Nawaz Sharif. AFP.[/caption] Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also called on the militants to observe a cease-fire in a televised speech to lawmakers at parliament Wednesday. Sharif long has supported talks as the best way to end the years of fighting with the militants in the country’s northwest. But after a spate of attacks in January, he has been under pressure to take steps to bring the country’s violence under control, raising questions about whether he would authorize a large-scale military operation against militants like the Pakistani Taliban and other Islamic extremist groups. PTI