ISLAMABAD, Nov 4: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif cautioned the US on Monday against drone strikes and said `senseless use of force` would not bring peace.

Speaking after witnessing war games in Khairpur Tameywali, near Bahawalpur, Mr Sharif, in an apparent reference to drone attacks, said violence could not be ended `by unleashing senseless force against our citizens`.

The prime minister was accompanied by army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.

Drone strikes have been unpopular, but the killing of Hakeemullah Mehsud, chief of the outlawed Tehreek-iTaliban Pakistan (TTP), in an attack on Friday led to an angry reaction from the government that was on the verge of starting dialogue with the militants for ending violence that has claimedthousands of lives.

While most of the earlier statements on the attack on the TTP leader were from government ministers, Mr Sharif`s remarks after the military exercises were the first directly from the premier who had last month discussed the drone strikes issue with US President Barack Obama.

Islamabad-based defence representatives of various countries, including the United States, were in the audience, in addition to military officers and soldiers.

The prime minister reiterated the official stance that drones violated the country`s sovereignty and international humanitarian laws, besides being counter-productive for peace in the region. His criticism of the drone war was less scathing as compared to some of the comments by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who had said that the government was contemplat-ing a review of ties with the US, much like what the previous government did after the Salala attack that had kept the relationship on a standstill for months.

Since coming into power after the May 11 elections the PML-N government has publicly taken a tougher line on drones.

The prime minister stressed that his government was running an independent foreign and national security policy, which was no more dictated by `phone calls from abroad` a reference to Washington.

`Pakistan intends to maintain foreign relations on the basis of bilateralism while at the same time safeguarding our political, economic and national sovereignty,` he said.

He also touched on his peace initiative.

`My government is firmly resolved to bringing the cycle of bloodshed and violence to an end,` he said and emphasised that it was not possible `without first making every effort to bring the misguided and confused elements of society back to the mainstream`.

But, at the same time he warned both his political adversaries and international watchers that the peace process could be long drawn and they should not expect it to `be done overnight`.

He noted that his government enjoyed broader political support for the peace effort. `In an extraordinary expression of national unity and cohesion, the all-partyconference underlined the imperative need of giving peace a chance,` he said.

According to our correspondent in Bahawalpur, the prime minister said at the conclusion of the Azam-i-Nau4 army exercises in the desert area that the government, armed forces and civil society were on the same page for ending violence. He said the recent drone attack had sabotaged the government`s sincere efforts for restoring peace.

He expressed the hope that the country would meet external and internal challenges in a befitting manner.

The prime minister said the country now had a strong democratic system. He paid tribute to the army for its sacrifices.