The leaders were meeting in Islamabad to discuss the threat of Islamic militancy days before Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani's makes his first visit to the United States.

It was their second round of talks since the formation of the government four months ago, after slain former premier Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and other groupings defeated allies of President Pervez Musharraf in elections.

"The coalition partners reiterated that Pakistan's territory will not be used for terrorist attacks nor will attacks from external forces on our soil be tolerated," information minister Sherry Rehman told reporters after the talks.

The meeting, chaired by Gilani, was also attended by Bhutto's widower Asif Ali Zardari and Sharif's brother Shahbaz, officials said. Sharif himself was abroad.

Army chief General Ashfaq Kiyani briefed the meeting about the law and order situation and measures taken so far to bring peace in tribal regions.

Hardline cleric Maulana Fazlur Rehman, chief of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party, and Asfandyar Wali Khan, the head of the secular, ethnic Pashtun Awami National Party (ANP), also attended.

"The meeting noted that Pakistan's national security and internal stability is paramount and no one would be allowed to challenge the writ of the state," Rehman said.

She said it was also agreed that parliament will discuss the formulation of a policy for greater national consensus on the battle against militancy.

"The main thrust of the coalition partners' multi-pronged strategy to counter the challenge of extremism will be political engagement of the people" in tribal regions, she said.

Earlier, Rehman told reporters, "it was agreed that policy of dialogue be pursued in tribal regions instead of operations."

The government has been under international pressure since launching peace negotiations with Taliban commanders in March aimed at halting the fighting in the country's northwest.

Gilani, who is due to visit Washington later this week, called the meeting saying the leaders would discuss the threat posed by Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants near the Afghan border.

Sources in Sharif's party earlier said they would push their demand for the reinstatement of the chief justice and about 60 other senior judges who were ousted by Musharraf under emergency rule in November last year.

"We will listen to what the government has to say on military operations in tribal areas, but there are other issues like the delay in the reinstatement of all judges and impeachment of Musharraf," a leader in Sharif's party said.

The two main parties agreed to reinstate the judges when they originally formed the coalition in March, but have failed to agree on how to do it.

Sharif's party wants them brought back through an executive order by the prime minister. The PPP says it should come through a broader constitutional package that has to be ratified by a two-thirds majority in parliament.

Pakistan has seen an increase in militant activities in recent weeks after a relative lull in the first two months of the coalition government.