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President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday told the visiting U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, that public criticism of Pakistan's role undermines its common struggle against militancy in the region.

President Zardari made the comments weeks after senior U.S. military leaders directly blamed Pakistan's intelligence agency for backing the Taliban-linked Haqqani network.

U.S. officials had also alleged that Pakistan's spy agency the Inter-Services Intelligence, ISI, had helped the Afghan insurgents in the last month attacks on the U.S. embassy in Kabul and on a main U.S. military base in Wardak province of Afghanistan. Pakistan dismissed the charges as irresponsible.

"Our people and the leadership is among the first ones to fully realize and comprehend the threat posed by violent mindset which is bred on the premises of deprivation and fuelled by sense of inequality," President Zardari said in meeting with Hillary Clinton, who concluded her two-day trip in Pakistan on Friday.

Clinton said she pressed Pakistani leaders to act against the Haqqani network, blamed for cross-border attacks into Afghanistan. The U.S. said Haqqani networks operates from Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region.

President Zardari underscored the importance of enhanced consultations between the two countries on the basis of mutual respect, sovereignty and interests, a statement from the President office said.

During the one-on-one and delegation-level meetings, the two sides discussed host of issues relating to Pak-U.S. relations, fight against militancy, regional situation with particular reference to the situation obtaining in Afghanistan, the statement said.

The President counted innumerable human sacrifices rendered by Pakistan in fight against militancy and extremism, adding that 30, 000 innocent civilians along with 5,000 military and police officers laid their lives for the cause of securing their lands from the clutches of militant mind-set.

Ms. Clinton appreciated Pakistan's contribution in promoting reconciliation process in Afghanistan and said that the U.S. administration desired continued partnership with Pakistan, the statement said.

She agreed with the President's strong emphasis on promoting trade rather than aid as the vehicle for development cooperation and assured that the U.S. administration was working to facilitate enhanced market access for Pakistani products.

Ms. Clinton also appreciated the economic reform initiatives taken by Pakistan which involved making difficult decisions and tough choices.