Washington, Dec.8 (ANI): US president-elect Barack Obama has called on both India and Pakistan to take steps to heal their divide over Kashmir following the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai, and also introduce appropriate measures to counter terrorism.

"If a country is attacked, it has the right to defend itself," Obama told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, adding that so far the new civilian government in Pakistan "has sent the right signals".

"He (Zardari) has indicated that he recognises this (terrorism) is not just a threat to the United States but it is a threat to Pakistan as well," the Daily Times quoted Obama as saying further.

Obama also called for an "effective strategic partnership with Pakistan that allows us in concert to assure that terrorists are not setting up safe havens in some of these border regions between Pakistan and Afghanistan."

But the United States needed also to build a strategic partnership across all of South Asia, Obama said while vowing to take the fight 'fiercely' to Al Qaeda and the Taliban.

Military means alone would not suffice in Afghanistan, he said, promising of a better life for dirt-poor Afghans. (ANI)