Australia says terrorism is threat to Pakistan's existence

Sydney, Mar. 17 (ANI): Australian Government has urged Pakistan's main opposition party, the PML-N, to forget political differences and combat the "common enemy of terrorism.

"It's quite clear that whatever political differences the political parties may have in Pakistan the common enemy is terrorism ... it is a threat to Pakistan's very existence," The News quoted Australia's Foreign Minister Stephen Smith, as saying.

Smith said that Australia would do everything to root-out terrorism from Afghanistan- Pakistan border area, as a ninth Australian soldier was killed fighting insurgents in Afghanistan.

"It's absolutely in Australia's national interest to continue to do our bit... with our international colleagues (to) stare down the terrorist threat that we currently find in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border area," Smith said, while addressing the Parliament on Monday.

The comments came as Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced the death of an Australian soldier in Afghanistan. (ANI)