Stressing on the need of cordial relations between India and Pakistan, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said that substantial action by Islamabad against the Mumbai attack perpetrators is the key to deescalate tension between the two neighbours.

Brown said the 26/11 attacks soured the Indo-Pak relationship to a great extent, but expressed hope that things would normalise in the coming days.

“I think that is the key to any difficulties ... between the two countries. Dialogue is necessary to ensure results,” Brown said during a briefing on the even of a meeting of Commonwealth heads of government in Trinidad and Tobago.

Brown highlighted that Britain is aware about the situation in Pakistan and said that London has contributed ‘substantially’ for the development of war-ravaged regions in the country with a focus on education and healthcare.

“We want the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan to understand that Britain is on their side against the threat of terrorism, both in their countries and indeed in our country,” The Daily Times quoted Brown, as saying.

Brown underlined the British strategy for Afghanistan, which he said was to establish a more transparent government in the troubled nation.

“The British policy in Afghanistan is to complement the military strategy with a political one and ... push for more transparent and corruption-free governance,” he said.

“What we also want to do is to encourage those people not wedded to the Taliban to renounce violence and join the political process,” Brown added.