ISLAMABAD , Pakistan ( CNN ) -- The Pakistani government convened a meeting on Monday of nearly all of the country 's political parties , in an effort to consolidate broad national support for its military operation to crush Taliban militants in Pakistan 's northwestern Swat Valley . Pakistani civilians flee to camps for the internally displaced in Mardan district on May 15 , 2009 . The leaders of 42 political parties were expected to attend the All Party Congress in Islamabad , the capital . Meanwhile , fierce fighting continued in Swat on Monday -- 27 Taliban fighters were killed , including three commanders , along with three Pakistani soldiers , said Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas , a spokesman for the Pakistani military . In a separate move to pressure the Taliban , hundreds of Muslim clerics gathered in Islamabad on Sunday to issue a unanimous declaration that denounced the militants ' violent tactics . `` Suicide attacks and beheading is haram , '' the resolution said . `` Haram '' means forbidden according to Islam . National consensus is critical for the military offensive to succeed , said a senior foreign diplomat stationed in Islamabad . Speaking on condition of anonymity , the diplomat singled out Mian Mohammed Nawaz Sharif , leader of the PML-N party and the most powerful political rival to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari , as saying that without Sharif 's support , the anti-Taliban campaign would be doomed . Sharif was at Monday 's All Party Congress . The Pakistani military mounted its first assault on al Qaeda and its Taliban allies in tribal areas along Pakistan 's mountainous border with Afghanistan in 2004 . There have since been a number of military offensives against the Taliban , with questionable results . The attacks have displaced hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis and done considerable damage to homes and infrastructure . The Taliban has extended its area of control from the border all the way to the district of Buner , just 100 kilometers ( 60 miles ) from the Pakistani capital . The military attacked Taliban fighters in Buner late last month . As of Sunday , troops were still battling to dislodge insurgents from parts of Buner , according to Pakistani military spokesmen . The top U.S. military commander told the Senate Armed Services Committee last week that it was too early to pass judgment on Pakistan 's most recent military offensive . `` My biggest question about these operations is their ability to sustain them over time , '' said Adm. Mike Mullen , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff . `` Historically , they have n't done that . '' The United Nations says the fighting has forced more than 1 million Pakistanis to flee their homes in the northwest of the country since May 2 . Prime Minister Yusuf Reza Gilani , addressing the All Party Congress on Monday , said , `` The army will remain in these areas until the displaced people can return to their homes , and until peace is established . ''
It convenes a meeting of nearly all of the country 's political parties . It aims to rally support for its efforts to fight Taliban militants . Government troops have battled Taliban in Pakistan 's northwestern Swat Valley . Hundreds of Muslim clerics gather in Islamabad to denounce militants ' violent tactics .