Islamabad: Pakistan on Friday said it was a "welcome realisation" on the part of India that the talks between the two countries should not be held hostage to the 2008 terrorist attack of Mumbai.
Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani made the comments to a delegation of American Senators led by Robert P Casey in Islamabad.
Gilani mentioned about the recent "fruitful visit" of the Pakistan Foreign Minister to India and also earlier visits of the Commerce Secretary and Interior Secretary and exchange of at senior level between the two countries.
He said that it was "welcome realisation" on the part of India that the talks between India and Pakistan should not be held hostage to terrorist attack of Mumbai, a statement issued by the Prime Minister's house said.
Meanwhile, Gilani asked the US to devise a common strategy that covers relationship of the two countries beyond 2014 and stressed that both should learn to trust each other.
He also admitted to divergence of view with the US. The Prime Minister called upon the delegation to devise a common strategy that covers relationship of the two countries beyond 2014 and which is also instrumental in assisting each other in intelligence sharing and defence co-operation with a view to keep the region stable.
Gilani said that Pakistan wanted a sovereign, independent, stable and prosperous Afghanistan and it supports the process of reconciliation in the country which is Afghan-led and Afghan-owned.
Pakistan is part of solution and not part of problem, Gilani added, the statement said.
The US Senators expressed their grave concern over the Improvised Explosive Devices(IED) which are killing the Pakistani and US troops alike.
The Senators were told that the Pakistani government had already placed stringent laws which regulate the manufacturing, transportation, storage and sale of the ammonium nitrate.
Pakistan has amended the Explosive Amendment Law to cope with the situation, the statement said.
Gilani said Pakistan had already blocked about 20 million unauthorised SIM cards as part of anti-terrorism initiatives. The Interior Secretary apprised the Senators that in collaboration with the US Embassy, an awareness campaign against IEDs will be launched next month so that people know the dangers involved and also how to protect themselves from the dangerous explosive device.
The Prime Minister said that a Centre of Excellence had been set up at Raisalpur that exclusively imparts training to the personnel of the law Enforcement Agencies, enhancing their capacity to deal with the lethal explosive and saving the valuable lives.
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