ISLAMABAD, Oct 28: The international community has realised the need to tackle underlying causes of terrorism that are mainly rooted in the unresolved political disputes, most importantly the lingering Palestinian issue, according to President Pervez Musharraf.

In an interview with a private TV channel aired on Saturday night , the president said there was an increasing understanding in the world that root causes should be addressed to weed out the menace of terrorism.

“There is now a growing realisation to address the root causes,” he said, adding that the resolution of political disputes “lies at the core of addressing terrorism”.

President Musharraf termed Palestine the core issue and said its resolution would have effects on Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon. “This issue (Palestine) is ripe for resolution,” he added.

He said Pakistan was following a holistic approach to curb terrorism and extremism. In this context he also referred to the peace deal the government had signed with the tribal elders in the North Waziristan region and said, it was the way forward.

—APP