New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Sunday urged all political parties to rise above narrow considerations and “stand united” in the aftermath of the Mumbai terrorist attack.”In the face of this national threat and in the aftermath of this national tragedy, all of us from different political parties must rise above narrow political considerations and stand united. We should work together in the interest of the country at this critical juncture,” the prime minister said in his opening remarks at an all-party meeting he convened here Sunday evening.

“The ordeal at Mumbai, which occupied the attention of the entire nation, has finally come to an end. All of us share the grief of those who have lost their loved ones in this dastardly and brutal attack and also the pain and anguish of those grievously wounded.”

The prime minister convened the all-party meeting to take stock of the security situation and to evolve ways to strengthen the intelligence machinery in the aftermath of the Mumbai terrorist attack, which claimed at least 183 lives.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Home Minister P. Chidambaram, Defence Minister A.K. Antony, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders V.K. Malhotra and Jaswant Singh attended the meet.

Samajwadi Party leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav and Amar Singh, Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Prakash Karat, and Communist Party of India leaders A.B. Bardhan and D. Raja also attended the meeting.

BJP prime ministerial candidate L.K. Advani did not attend the meet.

The meeting took place barely hours after Shivraj Patil resigned as home minister taking moral responsibility for the terrorist attack in Mumbai, in which 183 people were killed and 239 were injured.

The meet started around 6.30 p.m. at the prime minister’s residence.