WASHINGTON, May 21: The US state department said on Tuesday that Pakistan had rendered “unprecedented levels of cooperation in the war on terrorism” and observed that South Asia remained a central point for terrorism “directed against the United States and its friends and allies” in 2001.

In its annual report on Patterns of Global Terrorism, the department, however, said that questions remained whether Gen Pervez Musharraf’s “get tough” policy with Pakistan-based militants and his stated pledge to oppose terrorism anywhere would be fully implemented and sustained.

The report noted that Gen Musharraf had cracked down on extremists and by January

2002 Pakistani authorities had arrested more than 2,000, including leaders of the banned Lashkar-i-Taiba and Jaish-i-Mohammad.

The report says that as of November Islamabad had frozen over $300,000 in terrorist-related assets in many banks, and there were “some clear and important signs of fresh thinking” in Pakistan.

In the report’s only reference to the Indian charge of “cross-border terrorism”, which appears to be fast approaching a point where it could become a cause for armed conflict, it is said that India had asked the Pakistan government to deal immediately with “terrorist groups” operating from Pakistan or Pakistan-controlled territory.

In its section on India, the report mentions the various militant attacks and insurgencies, particularly in relation to Kashmir, and says that New Delhi has continued cooperative bilateral efforts with the United States against terrorism.

Secretary of State Colin Powell, in introductory remarks to the report, says history will record 2001 as a watershed year in the international fight against terrorism, but despite early successes in Afghanistan and against Al Qaeda, “we still have a long way to go to assure final victory in the global war against terrorism”.