Prime Minister of Pakistan Open to Talks With Taliban ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - In his first televised policy speech to the country since assuming office in June, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday hinted at his government's inclination to hold talks with Taliban militants even while maintaining the option of military action against them. "Like every Pakistani, I want an early end to this bloodshed, whether it is through the process of dialogue or heavy use of the state force," Mr. Sharif said. Being the prime minister, every Pakistani is my kith and kin. I cannot shoulder the funerals of my sons every day. Militant violence has continued at a high rate during Mr. Sharif's first weeks back in office, with at least 70 attacks over the past two months, including a major prison break and an attack on a regional headquarters of the Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate, the main spy agency. The perception in Pakistan is that the pace of attacks has at least partly derailed Mr. Sharif's desire to focus on the economic challenges facing Pakistan, and in particular the country's crippling electricity crisis. Mr. Sharif said he was willing to "hold dialogue with those who have unfortunately adopted extremism." Still, he warned that "we have more than one option to deal with terrorists - but wisdom and mind-set demand such a way out as to avoid further loss of innocent lives." The speech at times felt like a lament over the lawlessness, institutional degradation and dysfunction in Pakistan. And he repeated his plans to fix the economy and utility shortages, including increasing trading and energy ties with China, which he called a "game-changer." Addressing the increased tensions with India over Kashmir in recent weeks, Mr. Sharif repeated his call for improved ties with India. Since January, border clashes have killed soldiers and civilians from both sides. "Wars in the past have pushed us back," he said. I have always given high priority to good relations with India for the sake of durable peace in the region, and the nation has endorsed this standpoint during the recent elections. Political analysts noted a strain of self-contradiction in his stance on dealing with the Taliban. Arif Rafiq, an adjunct scholar with the Middle East Institute, said: "It was a tale of two speeches. Sharif gave a coherent, honest diagnosis of the country's energy and economic challenges and a relatively clear road map for resolving them. But on national security, he was quite confused. He said that terrorists are an existential threat to Pakistan, but then called for talks with them. "He hinted at trying to radically revise Pakistan's foreign policy, making it a force for regional peace," Mr. Rafiq added. But his government currently lacks the machinery to devise and implement a full-fledged national security strategy.