CRAWFORD (USA), Dec 31: US President George Bush said on Monday President Pervez Musharraf was “cracking down hard on “extremists” who seek to harm India, calling this “a good sign”.

“He’s cracking down hard,” Bush said while talking to reporters in Crawford, Texas, where he is on vacation. “The fact that (Musharraf) is after terrorists is a good sign.”

Bush on Saturday telephoned President Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and, according to the White House, urged the president to “eliminate the extremists who seek to harm India” and called on both leaders to reduce tension.

Annan: UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has also praised the crackdown and urged both Islamabad and Delhi to do more to ease tense relations.

Annan “welcomes the determined law enforcement action taken by the Pakistani authorities,” UN spokesman Fred Eckhard said. “The secretary-general believes that such measures are an important step towards easing tensions in the region.”—Reuters