LONDON, Aug 20: President Pervez Musharraf needs to do more to limit the influence of religious parties and militant groups to tackle extremism, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto said here on Sunday.

Ms Bhutto said the Pakistani authorities should be applauded for helping their British counterparts against an alleged plot to blow up US-bound aircraft.

But she told BBC News 24 television that she was concerned about the effectiveness of efforts to curb fanaticism because “when terrorists are apprehended all the roads seem to lead to Islamabad.”

“The international community took a decision to back the military dictatorship of Gen Musharraf but that’s not enough,” she said.

“We need to create a climate within Pakistan where the moderate forces can triumph. At the moment I see that the religious parties are gaining in strength and the militants, despite several crackdowns are intact.

“As long as the militants remain intact they will continue to make further plots.”

Ms Bhutto said part of the problem came in the contradiction between Gen Musharraf’s support for the spread of democracy in Afghanistan and his own unelected status.—AFP

The president had proved himself unable to deal with the militants because of the combined effects of a lack of an effective political system and widespread poverty, she added.—AFP