UNITED NATIONS, Jan 13: Pakistan on Monday urged the world community to wage war against terrorism comprehensively on a global front with a vision and understanding underscoring that "it must not be allowed to engender a clash of civilizations."

Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting, ambassador Munir Akram warned that the war against terrorism "should not erode the moral values of our society. It must not be hijacked by those who seek to use it as an excuse to suppress other peoples."

Mr Akram told the meeting on "Threats to the International Peace and Security Caused by Terrorist Acts", which considered a report by the UN's Al Qaeda sanctions committee, that the "fight against terrorism can be successful only if we address the problems in all its facets".

"Military and administrative measures are but part of a comprehensive response which the problem requires. We will need to search for long-term solutions and pay greater attention to the factors of the root of terrorism.

"There is, in particular, a certain correlation between poverty, religious and political persecution and injustice with terrorism," he stressed. Asserting that Pakistan is a front-line state in the fight against terrorism, Pakistan's chief delegate said: "We have deployed 70,000 troops at our borders with Afghanistan for the interdiction and search of infiltrating or ex-filtrating Al Qaeda and Taliban.

Pakistan has developed an effective intelligence network and a quick reaction force for this purpose. We have captured over 500 Al Qaeda and Taliban operatives in this campaign which is continuing actively at present."

Mr Akram pointed out that "Al Qaeda is a shadow of its past today, but the nature of the threat, even if more diffused, is more complex through the splintering of cells and subcontracting of terrorism."

Applauding the work done by UN's Al-Qaeda and Taliban sanction's committee, Mr Akram said: "Pakistan for its part requires financial and technical assistance to enhance its capacity for counter terrorism and particularly with regard to surveillance equipment at its ports of entry and exit as well as the development of human resources."

He suggested that visits by the chairman and members of UN sanction's committee should continue in future in order to sensitize both the committee and member states on the need for coordinated action and mutual cooperation.

The envoy also stressed that the policy of transparency and holding periodic briefings by the chairman of the committee should also be continued to enlist maximum support of the international community.

The committee should further streamline and improve the process of submitting new names for addition to the consolidated list. A designating state should not only consult the states concerned, but also provide as much background information or evidence as possible both to ensure the credibility of the list and to meet due process and legal requirements.

He also noted that "there is a need for legal clarity and precision in regard to the preparation of the list. In particular, there is a need for careful identification of the coverage of the Taliban, taking into account the emerging realities in Afghanistan".