ISLAMABAD: Military’s top brass took on Friday stock of peace dialogue with militants and the security situation in tribal areas.

The generals, who met for the monthly Corps Commanders Conference at the General Headquarters, Inter-Services Public Relations said, “undertook comprehensive review of the prevalent internal and external security situation of the country”.

The meeting was informed that except for the militants-controlled North Waziristan and Kookikhel region of Tirah Valley, the situation in tribal areas was largely under control.

The review by the military leadership comes days after Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif, while speaking at the Martyrs’ Day ceremony, asked the militants to accept the Constitution and return to the mainstream. Otherwise, he warned, they would be dealt with sternly.

The comments set the tone of discussions at the Friday meeting where the generals sceptically viewed the dialogue initiative.

However, the impressions were not shared publicly to avoid being seen as pre-empting the peace process which the government is trying to revive. The scepticism stemmed from the fact that militant link was found to some of the attacks, including the Islamabad Sabzi Mandi bombing. After the discovery of the link, the armed forces had carried out aerial strikes against militant sanctuaries in Tirah.

There are reports that the government’s negotiating team is likely to hold the second round of direct talks with the Taliban leadership next week, possibly May 5. This will be the first direct contact since a ‘ceasefire’ announced by the militants ended on April 10. The first round of talks in March did not produce any substantive results.

The commanders also deliberated on Afghan elections which are now entering the run-off phase.

Pakistan had helped in peaceful holding of the first phase of the polls by tightly regulating the movement across its border with Afghanistan to prevent militant movement. Thousands of additional troops were deployed on the border for the purpose.