ISLAMABAD Director US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Leon E. Panetta has stressed the need for enhancing operational functioning between the US and Pakistan militaries and intelligence agencies to effectively weed out terrorism. Leon E. Panetta called on Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani at the PMs House on Friday and discussed with him the matters relating to the cooperation between the two countries in eliminating war on terror. During the meeting, US review of its new policy on Afghanistan also came under discussion. The Prime Minister emphasized that the US must fully share the contours of its roadmap towards Afghanistan and ensure incorporation of Pakistans input in it. He underscored that the US policy towards Afghanistan must take into account Pakistans concerns relating to the possible surge of the US and ISAF forces in Afghanistan, which may entail negative implications for the situation in Balochistan. He stressed that the new Afghan policy of US government should not disturb the regional balance in South Asia. The Prime Minister said that it was imperative to remove misgivings, build trust and seek to align the respective strategic concepts of both Pakistan and the US to steadfastly move forward in the strategic partnership between the two countries. The Prime Minister underlined the need for close coordination between the intelligence agencies of both sides to effectively counter the prevalent misperceptions in the bilateral relationship. The US official assured the Prime Minister that the US is fully conscious of Pakistans pivotal role in the war against terrorism and in the restoration of stability in Afghanistan. The US considers Pakistan a strategic partner with whom it wants to build a long-term and sustained relationship even beyond the cooperation in countering the militancy and extremism.