ISLAMABAD - President Asif Ali Zardari Thursday clearly indicated in a high-level meeting on rising militancy in NWFP that the government would engage in peaceful negotiations with the militants, who stopped challenging writ of the government. Presiding over a meeting on issues related to NWFP (reported as Pukhtunkhwa in the official release) the President said the government had embarked on the strategy of dialogue, development and deterrence to root out the menace of extremism from the country. He asserted that dialogue for a political settlement in the disturbed regions with those who did not challenge the writ of the state, was also part of the government's strategy to deal with the situation. "Use of force is the last option in the war against terrorism," he maintained. The President directed the Interior Adviser to furnish a detailed report within a week on the measures taken to beef up the police force in the province and also on what further needed to be done. He said the social and economic structures of the province and tribal areas were being strengthened. The needs and requirements of the law enforcement agencies would be fulfilled in the NWFP, he added. Sources privy to the meeting stated, the President had also given a green signal to the renaming of NWFP as Pukhtunkhwa, saying the constitutional requirements in this regard would be met. Struggle was being made to strengthen the federation. Those who attended the meeting included Governor NWFP Owais Ahmed Ghani, Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Farooq H. Naek, Federal Minister for SAFRON Najmuddin Khan, Interior Adviser Malik, Attorney General of Pakistan Sardar Muhammad Latif Khan Khosa, Provincial Minister for Planning and Development Rahim Dad Khan, Provincial Minister for Finance Hamayun Khan, Provincial Minister for Health Zahir Ali Shah, Provincial Minister for Information Mian Iftikhar, Provincial Minister for Law Barrister Arshad Abdullah, Provincial Minister for Local Government Bashir Ahmad Bilour and Peace Envoy Afrasiab Khattak. The NWFP Chief Minister apprised the meeting of the prevailing poor security situation in the province including the provincial capital, Peshawar and Swat Malakand Division in particular, saying the Provincial Government was facing hardship to tackle the issue alone due to some serious funding problems. "Frontier police and other law enforcement agencies are facing difficulties in combating the ongoing militancy, due to lack of proper equipment and training facilities," sources, wishing not to be named, cited Amir Hoti as saying. However, none of the ANP members was willing to talk on the details of the meeting, referring media to talk to the Provincial Information Minister Mian Iftikhar, who switched off his cell to avoid calls. When Provincial Chief of ANP was approached to comment on the meeting he said, "Sorry, only Mian Iftikhar is entitled to comment as per discipline." Even the central spokesman of the party Zahid Khan avoided to comment on the meeting. Adviser Interior Rehman Malik briefed the meeting on the measures taken to beef up the police force and security agencies in the province. President Zardari told the meeting that the government was committed to embarking on a massive socioeconomic development programme particularly in the province and the tribal areas. He said the need for socioeconomic development was increasingly being recognized by the international community and said that the adoption of Lugar-Biden Bill in the United States Senate was a manifestation of this realization. The President said peace was the foremost priority and the government had pressed into service all the available resources to bring stability in the regions affected by extremism. He said he would like to have such meetings held more frequently.