Pakistan-Operation
Pakistani military Wednesday said it has ended operation against local Taliban after 'achieving goals' in a remote district in the country's northwest, the army spokesman said.

The operation was launched in Hangu area last week after a group of Taliban killed 17 soldiers and had also surrounded a police station to forcibly free seven of their colleagues.

The army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said that 20 militants had been killed in the operation and 60 others arrested. He said that only five soldiers were injured. He said that Taliban have been expelled from the area.

The Taliban had sounded threats to the government to wind up operation by Wednesday otherwise they would launch attacks on the government forces.

The army spokesman said that the operation has been concluded but can be re-launched if the provincial government made a decision.

The operation is ended as senior leaders of the ruling Pakistani coalition Wednesday said to resolve problems in the country's tribal regions through dialogue.

Senior leaders of the ruling coalition met at a meeting in Islamabad to review the situation in the tribal regions and parts of the country's northwest, where the security forces are engaged in operations against local Taliban.

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani chaired the meeting and the army chief briefed the participants about the security situation, the Information Minister Sherry Rehman said.

"The main thrust of the coalition partners multi pronged strategy to counter the challenge of extremism will be political engagement of the people," the Information Minister said.

A senior leader chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said there was consensus in the meeting that all issues including law and order and foreign policy matters should be discussed in the parliament and strategy formulated in the light of parliamentary debate.

He said the participants of meeting felt that the dialogue process is the best option to address the security challenge and this should be taken forward.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman said implementation of the peace deals should be ensured and world powers told that Pakistan would not compromise on its interests. He said no foreign power has any right to interfere in Pakistan's affairs.