Islamabad, Nov 20 : Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani during his meeting with the visiting CIA chief Leon Panetta stressed that the new US strategy for Afghanistan should not affect regional balance in South Asia.

Leon Panetta on the occasion asserted that the US is Pakistan’s strategic partner, and intends to have durable and long-term bilateral relations.

The Prime Minister cautioned that the US and ISAF offensives in Afghanistan in coming days could have its fallout in Pakistan’s province of Balochistan, The News reported.

He said the mistrust and misconceptions must be cleared to forge improved bilateral strategic relations between the two countries.

“In order to achieve this goal close cooperation between Pak-US intelligence agencies is needed, he stressed.”

Panetta said that the US is looking beyond Pak-US relations on war on terror. (ANI)