Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif says he is still hopeful that talks with the Taliban can succeed, despite the militants ending a ceasefire. Sharif told BBC Urdu that talks offered the "best option" of ending the country's long conflict. Speaking to BBC Urdu in a rare interview in London, the prime minister said he believed his talks strategy could "bring peace without any further bloodshed".

"If we can make this process somehow successful, I think it will be the best option." But Sharif said the militants had to respect the constitution and lay down their arms. "This of course is the number one condition that has to be met. "We are making progress on these issues. Let us see if the next round of meetings are successful and we can find a way to make headway in the talks we are holding with each other." Two rounds of negotiations have already been held. The prime minister said it would take two or three more meetings for the sides to know "how sincere we are with each other and how the talks are progressing". He added that security had improved while the talks have been under way.

Copyright News Network International, 2014