ISLAMABAD, Jan 2: Caretaker Prime Minister Mohammedmian Soomro said on Wednesday that Pakistan was determined to eliminate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

Talking to French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner who called on him here, Mr Soomro said Pakistan had been a frontline state in the fight against terrorism and had suffered a lot.

He said the death of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto came as a great shock for the entire nation because she was a leader with following in all the four provinces.

Investigation into the violent act was continuing and hopefully the culprits would be unearthed, he said.

He expressed appreciation for an offer for technical assistance in the investigation made by the minister and said the government would accept help if required.

Mr Kouchner offered condolences to the government and people of Pakistan and the family of the former prime minister. He said the tragic death of a recognised leader of Pakistan was a great shock for the government and the people of France.

Mr Soomro said the government was using its resources to combat extremism and terrorism and was achieving substantial progress. But, he added, a multi-faceted approach was needed to tackle the issue.

He said terrorism stemmed from economic deprivation and lack of development and the government was focusing on creating economic opportunities in areas bordering Afghanistan. He said international help for development in the tribal areas had been delayed, affecting the commitment made by the government to the people of the area.

Mr Kouchner told Mr Soomro that he had handed over a letter from President Nicolas Sarkozy to President Pervez Musharraf in which he had expressed solidarity with the government and people of Pakistan and support for the democratic process leading to general election.

He said Pakistan had strong international support for holding free, fair, transparent and peaceful election.

COAS: During a meeting with Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Mr Soomro said Pakistan was a peaceful country but it believed in maintaining minimum credible deterrence to ensure peace and stability in the region.