In a veiled reference to recent turmoil in Pakistan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said the rise of non-state actors and extremism in the garb of religion or on the pretext of “righting historical wrongs” posed danger to civilised nations which should collectively fight the menace.

“Recent developments in our neighbourhood have brought home to us again the imperative need to collectively fight terrorism and extremism in all forms,” Singh told scholars at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a premier think-tank.

The prime minister made no direct reference to Pakistan which has been  facing a tumultuous period since the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on December 27.

Singh and his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao had during their meeting on Monday voiced similar concerns on the developments in Pakistan. “Perhaps the greatest danger to our development comes from extremism of all types, whether in the garb of religion or on the pretext of righting historical wrongs,” Singh said.

He said the rise of non-state actors, often based on intolerance, and narrow conceptions of identity, was a threat to all civilised nations.

“As large and diverse societies, we are all placed to demonstrate the benefits of moderation and peaceful co-existence,” he said on the last day of his three-day visit.

In his speech, Singh unveiled his vision of the future of Sino-Indian relations, saying India and China must cooperate in creating a world of positive externalities and mutual prosperity, rather than one based on balance of power calculations and animosity.