Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is the guest of honor at a military exercise in the Punjab province.
It is a show of force.
The exercise comes days after a U.S. drone strike killed the head of the Pakistani Taliban -- the strike came on the eve peace talks with the Taliban.
The government sees the killing as a U.S. bid to derail the talks and summoned the U.S. ambassador to complain.
Now Sharif is hinting that the peace talks can move forward.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) PAKISTANI PRIME MINISTER, NAWAZ SHARIF, SAYING:
"Our government, ladies and gentlemen, is firmly resolved to bringing the cycle of bloodshed and violence to an end, but it cannot be done over-night, nor can it be done by unleashing senseless force against our citizens, without first making every effort to bring the misguided and confused elements of society, back to the mainstream.
He also sounded off on the drone strike.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) PAKISTANI PRIME MINISTER, NA
