BRUSSELS, Sept 13: Expressing firm commitment to fighting terrorism and extremism, President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday said Pakistan was playing a pivotal role for regional and world peace and could work as a bridge between the West and the Muslim world.

“We (Pakistan and the European Union) stand together in the fight against the scourge of terrorism,” he said while addressing the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament.

In his wide-ranging interaction with the parliamentarians, spanning over two hours, the president spoke at length on issues of terrorism and extremism, democracy, human rights and answered questions to remove misperceptions about Pakistan in the West.

The president listed steps the government had taken to empower women and minorities and introduce sustainable democracy in the country.

The European Parliament, he said, had played an important role in the promotion of human rights and fundamental freedom. He said Pakistan looked forward to strengthening ties with Europe.

President Musharraf said the EU was a leading trading partner of Pakistan. He thanked the EU for provding timely assistance to Pakistan in the aftermath of the earthquake last year.

He pointed out that in the last few years Pakistan and EU had forged closer ties and they were standing together in the fight against terrorism. “Pakistan is a leading partner in this endeavour (to eliminate terrorism), which is an agent of chaos and enemy of progress,” he said. The world had a common objective to make sustained and comprehensive efforts to eradicate terrorism, he added.

The president renewed his call for the world to address the causes of terrorism “rooted in unresolved political disputes, helplessness and sense of deprivation”.

“Unless we find political solution to the political disputes, we are not going to move forward. We must resolve political disputes that lead to political alienation,” he added.

The president said that the vast majority of Pakistanis were moderate and they were religious but not extremist. “Pakistan is not an intolerant, extremist society as perceived by the West,” he added.

President Musharraf traced the roots of terrorism and extremism as the direct fallouts of the Soviet invasion in Afghanistan against which the West, the United States along with Pakistan waged Jihad.

He said after the Soviet withdrawal, Pakistan was left high and dry by the West, leaving the country to deal with four million refugees and thousands of ‘Mujahideen’. “Terrorism and extremism are not inherent but are imports because of circumstances,” he added.

Similarly, the president said that Taliban emergence was because of circumstances in Afghanistan.

However, he said, Pakistan was now faced with the challenges of terrorism and extremism and taking steps to combat the twin menace.

The president explained to the EU lawmakers that while terrorism “has to be fought militarily, extremism is a state of mind and requires a different strategy”.

He also told them about the recent peace deal signed in the North Waziristan with an aim to curb militant activities through strengthening civil institutions of Politcal Agent and Council of tribal elders.

The president said that Pakistan “can and is playing a pivotal role in promoting regional peace and being a powerful Islamic country, can work as bridge between Muslims and the West”.

In the context of regional integration, the President explained Pakistan’s geo-strategic location at the crossroads of Gulf, South Asia and Central Asia that makes it an energy and trade hub, providing inter-connectivity and linkages.—APP