Gilani condemns Pune bomb blast

Islamabad, Feb 14 (ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Sunday condemned Saturday night's bomb explosion at the German Bakery in Pune's Koregaon area which killed nine people and injured over 50 persons.

"I condemn the incident in Pune.We condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. We want the region to be free from this menace. We want to have good relations with India. We want talks to be meaningful," Gilani told reporters here.

The blast came a day after Pakistan accepted India's offer to hold Foreign Secretary level talks.

Clouds of uncertainty have surrounded the high level meeting, which is scheduled to take place on February 25 in New Delhi following the explosion.

The improvised explosive device (IED), kept in a packet outside the kitchen of the German bakery, exploded at around 7.30 in evening on Saturday when a waiter attempted to open it.

The German Bakery is a favourite food joint for foreigners, located close to the Osho Ashram, which is said to have been inspected by Pakistani American terror suspect David Coleman Headley more than two years ago.

Union Home Minister P.Chiadambaram has said that the Indian government is still putting pressure on the US authorities to give New Delhi access to Headley, who is said to have conducted recce's on behalf of the Lashkar-e Taiba (LeT) before the 26/11 terror strikes on Mumbai. (ANI)