ISLAMABAD: The military command said on Wednesday the armed forces would fight terror within the limits set for them by the government, but stopped short of issuing an outright endorsement of the ongoing talks with the Taliban.

After a meeting of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, the principal coordination forum of the armed forces, a spokesman said: “The meeting reaffirmed the resolve of armed forces to fight the menace of terrorism under a comprehensive strategy within the policy parameters set by the political leadership.”

The meeting presided over by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Rashad Mahmood was attended by Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Mohammad Asif Sandila, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt, defence secretary and senior officers of the three services.

A common message from last week’s meeting of the corps commanders and the JCSC meeting is that “armed forces are ready to take on the upcoming challenges being faced by the country”.

A day earlier, the army chief met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for giving the military’s “institutional point of view on the dialogue process”. According to a source, he conveyed to the premier the “red lines” for the dialogue process, which included respect for Constitution and expulsion of all foreign militants from tribal areas.