ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Tuesday offered intelligence sharing to Afghanistan for its investigation into the assassination of the former Peace Council chief Burhanuddin Rabbani. Gilani told reporters in Quetta that Pakistan had been shocked at the murder of Rabbani, also a former president of Afghanistan, and offered all collaboration to the Afghanistan government regarding a probe into his killing.

Gilani said Pakistan was working to devise a combined strategy with Afghanistan to fight terrorism in the region.

Referring to the ties with the US, he said that the relations between Pakistan and the United States were improving and moving in a positive direction, he said.

Rabbani was killed at his Kabul residence last month by a man who pretended to be a messenger from Taliban but was a suicide bomber.

Interior Minister Bismellah Muhammadi and the country's intelligence agencies have claimed that the assassination plot was prepared in the Pakistani southwestern city of Quetta by Afghan Taliban.

They also alleged that Pakistani spy agency had helped in the plan, which was strongly dismissed by the Pakistani government.

Rabbani's murder had harmed the bilateral relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan and derailed the reconciliation efforts in Afghanistan. Gilani cancelled this month's visit to Kabul, where he was scheduled to meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai for a joint peace commission.

Afghanistan says it would soon send members of a commission formed by the Afghan president to share information with Pakistani authorities and to seek their help in the investigation.

Afghan Ambassador in Islamabad Omar Daudzai said that the delegation was likely to arrive in Islamabad in a few days. The Afghan government said it had already provided some "proof" to Pakistani embassy in Kabul but Pakistan says it was the confessional statement of one of the suspects. (IANS)