Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday that Islamabad was ready to hold talks with Afghanistan to resolve their conflict, as a temporary ceasefire that halted days of fierce fighting between the former allies largely held. The South Asian neighbours engaged in ground fighting and Pakistan launched airstrikes across their contested frontier, killing dozens and wounding hundreds before agreeing to a 48-hour truce from 1300 GMT on Wednesday.

Sharif told his cabinet in Islamabad that Pakistan had "retaliated" as it ran out of patience with Afghanistan following a series of militant attacks. BALL IN AFGHAN COURT, PAKISTAN PM SAYS

"If they want to talk on our valid conditions and want to resolve through dialogue we are ready for that," Sharif said. "This message has been give

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