'India, Pak should work together to eliminate terror'

ISLAMABAD: Ruing the loss of lives in the triple bombings in Mumbai, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday said such incidents should strengthen Indo-Pak resolve to work together to eliminate terrorism in South Asia.

Addressing a meeting of the National Command Authority, the body that controls Pakistan's nuclear arsenal, Gilani referred to the bombings in India almost at the beginning of his speech.

"At the outset, I would like to express my sympathies and condolences on the loss of lives in the tragic blasts in Mumbai yesterday.

"Pakistan has already condemned the blasts. The President of Pakistan and I have also conveyed our deepest sympathies to the Indian leadership," he said.

Three bomb blasts at as many sites in Mumbai yesterday killed 18 people and injured over 130.

"Such incidents only confirm our resolve to work together for the elimination of the menace of terrorism in the region," he told the gathering that included key cabinet ministers and the three service chiefs, including army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.

The Pakistan government had condemned the attack in a message issued by the Foreign Office last night.

The National Command Authority meeting chaired by Gilani "reviewed developments in the regional and global security environment", an official statement said.

The body also "undertook a detailed appraisal of international and regional trends and policies and their implications for Pakistan", the statement added without giving details.