Bush asks Pakistan PM to rein in militants

The US on Monday bluntly told Pakistan to rein in the terrorists groups operating from its soil and said Washington was "committed" to help Afghanistan succeed in its quest for democracy.

During a meeting at the White House, US President George W Bush told visitinag Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani that his government should ensure that the Pak-Afghan border should be secured "as best as possible".

"I told the Prime Minister (Gilani) that the US is committed to helping the Afghan democracy succeed, which is in Pakistan's interest," Bush said adding that the sovereignty of Pakistan would be respected.

"We talked about the common threat we face, extremists who are very dangerous people. We talked about the need for us to make sure that Afghan border is secure as best as possible," Bush told reporters after the meeting.

He said Pakistan made a very strong commitment to contain militancy.

Gilani, on his maiden visit to the US, expressed his country's determination to fight terrorists and extremists stressing that a majority of the people including in the northern areas and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas want peace.

As Bush and Gilani met here, US troops operating in Afghanistan launched a missile strike on suspected militant hideouts in Pakistan killing six people including Al-Qaeda chemical weapons expert Midhat Mursi al-Sayid Umar.