Islamabad, Sep 9 (IANS): Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Monday said he considered dialogue as the priority option to curb terrorism in the country.

Addressing political leaders at the All Parties Conference (APC) convened at the PM House to discuss security issues, Sharif said his party had always laid stress on serious efforts for a dialogue in the previous APCs as well, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.

He said it was the need of the hour for all political forces in the country to shun politicking on issues of national importance such as terrorism and energy crisis and join hands to address them unanimously.

"We have to rise above politics on some issues and develop a national consensus for the sake of this country," Sharif said.

"If we get rid of terrorism and extremism, we would become a strong nation of the 21st century," he said.

The prime minister also said that he had directed Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Pakistan's interior minister, to extend cooperation to provinces to ensure their better coordination with the government on security issues, according to APP.