LONDON: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday said Pakistan and the United Kingdom were partners in the fight against terrorism and extremism and his country remains committed to fight the scourge till its elimination.

Addressing a reception here at the House of Commons to meet with British Parliamentarians, on the invitation of High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan,   Gilani said the democratic government has created national ownership to the campaign against terrorism and has brought all stakeholders on board.

Gilani said the Parliament has recently reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to the elimination of terrorism and was combating extremism in pursuance of Pakistan's national interest.

“We have also repeatedly said that we would not allow our territory to be used for any kind of attacks on other countries and we expect that the soil of other countries would not be used against Pakistan,” said the premier.

He said the sacrifices made by Pakistan in its campaign against militancy, terrorism and extremism were unparalleled, and the resolve of the two countries in this regard remains unshakeable.

Gilani who is here on a five-day official visit to the United Kingdom to review the Enhanced Strategic Dialogue had an extensive interaction with the British parliamentarians and shared experiences of the nascent democracy in Pakistan and the challenges it faced.

He was accompanied by Minister for Commerce Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Minister for Information Qamar Zaman Kaira, Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar, Minister for Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Minister for Interior Rehman Malik, Minister for Political Affairs Maula Bakhsh Chandio and Minister of State for Housing Raza Hayat Hiraj, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Social Sector Shahnaz Wazir Ali and Chairman Board of Investment Saleem H Mandviwala.

Prime Minister Gilani said the British Parliament is known as the mother of democracy. He said the Forum of Commonwealth has been proudly espousing the cause of democracy and the human rights among the member countries.

Pakistan became the member of the Commonwealth in 1947 soon after it became independent, but it was suspended during the military dictatorship of General Zia-ul-Haq during eighty's, and was restored when Benazir Bhutto became prime minister after the elections in the country.

He said the membership of Pakistan again suspended during General Musharraf's military rule and restored after the incumbent government led by me came to power as a result of elections in 2008.

Gilani said the Commonwealth indeed represents the aspirations of the people as it has gained glory as a powerful symbol of people's empowerment and rejects the military rule in its totality.

“I am happy to state that there is not a single political prisoner in Pakistan today. Media is completely free and the civil society is robust and human rights organisations' assertions are making qualitative difference as far as the human rights are concerned. Judiciary is free by any stretch of imagination,” Gilani added.

He said at the last Summit of Commonwealth in Perth, Australia, the Forum was unanimous in supporting the democratic governments of member states and pledged to foil the designs of those who intend to usurp the rights of the people.

Prime Minister Gilani who is visiting the UK at the invitation of Prime Minister David Cameron, said the Enhanced Strategic Dialogue (ESD), initiated last year provides a framework for a regular and comprehensive review of excellent cooperation between the two countries.

“We are appreciative of the UK support for EU trade concessions for Pakistan and we hope that the United Kingdom would continue supporting Pakistan's request for GSP Plus,” said the prime minister.

Prime Minister Gilani while interacting with the British Parliamentarians at the historic premises termed it “an emblem of parliamentary democracy” and “repository of rich heritage and traditions.”

He said the ESD covers a wide spectrum of bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest.

“I am satisfied that we have made good progress under the ESD framework, and I look forward to holding detailed and wide ranging discussions with Prime Minister Cameron and other members of his cabinet to further intensify this cooperation,” the premier concluded.