'It has been and remains our consistent position that the starting point of any meaningful dialogue with Pakistan is a fulfillment of their commitment, in letter and spirit, not to allow their territory to be used in any manner for terrorist activities against India,' he stressed.

The prime minister's statement echoed the 2004 anti-terror pledge Pakistan gave to India that formed the basis for the resumption of dialogue between the two countries that year - nearly three years after the attack on the Indian parliament in which Pakistan militants were allegedly involved.

The joint statement at the end of talks between Manmohan Singh and Gilani Thursday took many by surprise, with critics and opposition parties seeing in it a dilution of India's stand on cross-border terrorism. Unlike in the past, the joint statement did not event mention the 2004 anti-terror pledge.

Manmohan Singh informed the house that India was reviewing the dossier of investigations into the Mumbai attacks provided by Pakistan. He also told parliament about Gilani's assurance that Pakistan will do everything in its power to bring the perpetrators of the Nov 26 attacks to justice.

'He also told me that there is consensus in Pakistan against the activities of these terrorist groups, that strong action is being taken and that this is in Pakistan's own interest,' Manmohan Singh said.

Members of the chief opposition BJP walked out of the house in protest against Manmohan Singh's statement, saying it allegedly compromised India's position on the sensitive issue of cross-border terrorism.

Soon after Manmohan Singh read out the statement on his meeting with Gilani and his recent visit to Egypt and France, Leader of Opposition L.K Advani of BJP said: 'You have delinked terrorism and the composite dialogue. Why have you taken seven months to decide on this?'

'If the opposition wants, we can have a structural discussion. There is no provision in this house to seek clarification from the prime minister on his statement,' retorted Finance Minister and former foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee.

'We will have a structural debate, but as a mark of protest I would like my party to walk out to this capitulation,' Advani protested. And then the BJP members marched out of the Lok Sabha.