KUALA LUMPUR, July 7: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has called upon the nation to maintain calm in the current situation of distress and foil the nefarious designs of terrorists who are out to destabilise the democratic government.

Talking to journalists after arriving here on Monday to attend the Sixth D-8 Summit, the prime minister condemned the string of blasts in Karachi, a day after the terrorists attack in Islamabad.

He said he was in touch with Interior Affairs Adviser Rehman Malik and asked him to declare a sate of high alert in all the provinces.

He said the government was determined to bring to book the elements behind the cowardly acts.

The summit is expected to endorse a 10-year roadmap on trade cooperation.

Prime Minister Gilani is heading a 55-member delegation comprising his Special Assistant on Economic Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar, senior officials and parliamentarians.

The delegation was received at the airport by Malaysian deputy foreign minister.

On the sidelines of the summit, the prime minister will meet his Malaysian counterpart, the chief executive of Bangladesh and other leaders.

Talking to journalists onboard his flight, the prime minister said: “Prosperity is unattainable without peace in Pakistan.”

He said he perceived the security situation in Pakistan as a key factor responsible for creating uncertainty leading to the worsening of the economic situation.

“Blasts scare investors away tendering a direct blow to the economy, besides causing immediate loss of life and property,” he said.

Earlier, talking to Dawn, the prime minister blamed anti-democratic elements in the country and anti-Pakistan elements outside the country for promoting terrorism to destabilise the democratic government and keep Pakistan economically weak.

He said he believed in sharing and caring. “We are in the process of finalising the performance report of the first 100 days of the democratic government in which the government will not only tell the nation what it has achieved but explain what and why of what has not been achieved.”

He said that the coalition government had passed the most difficult initial phase of transformation -- the formation of the governments in the centre and the provinces and presentation of a budget that enjoyed the approval of all coalition partners.

APP adds: Prime Minister Gilani said a militant leader of Khyber Agency, Mangal Bagh, had sought an oath from the candidates of his area in the general elections to facilitate suicide attacks in parliament in return for his support.

He vowed to protect the life and property of the people across the country and said it was the government’s primary duty.