At a conference organised in Islamabad yesterday by the Awami National Party, 27 political parties and lawyers' groups said priority should be given to negotiations with militants to establish peace in the country. The parties further said the issue of terrorism should be resolved in accordance with the Constitution, the law and national security and within the bounds of national sovereignty. Even as the political parties were meeting in Islamabad, militants carried out a string of bomb and suicide attacks in the country�s northwest that killed 21 and injured dozens more. The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a police station at Bannu and a suicide car bombing at a security check post in Hangu. Taliban spokesman Ihsan told the media that his group would continue its attacks till a peace deal is finalised. "The attacks would continue until we (reach) a viable agreement," he said. "We shall be continuing with more such attacks until the peace deal is finalised. Military attacks and peace talks are continuing on both sides, the security forces have also not stopped attacking the Taliban despite offering an olive branch," Ihsan was quoted as saying on the website of the Dawn newspaper.
