"I, on behalf of the people, government of Pakistan and my Cabinet colleagues strongly condemn the desecration of the Holy Quran by (pastor) Terry Jones, a US national," he said.
In his opening remarks at a Cabinet meeting chaired by him, Gilani said this "heinous act is reflective of the presence of extremism in various societies."

Gilani proposed that the time had come for Muslims and the people of Western countries to come together and promote inter-faith harmony for the sake of future generations.
He said the concept of clash of civilizations should be replaced by one that builds bridges and promotes tolerance and mutual respect between cultures.

He informed the Cabinet that the government had decided to register a protest at international fora on the burning of the Quran and suggested that Parliament should pass a unanimous resolution on the issue.

"Our government also condemns (US) drone attacks (in Pakistan's tribal belt), which are counterproductive and flare up extremism," Gilani said.

Referring to the President's address to a joint sitting of Parliament on March 22, he said this was the fourth consecutive address by any democratically elected President.

He said the President, in his address, gave "us concrete guidelines to steer the country forward amid challenges and reiterated that all political parties should adopt a reconciliatory approach in the greater national interest."