ISLAMABAD, Feb 18: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday exhorted religious scholars to play a pro-active role in fostering unity and sectarian harmony and weeding out extremist elements from Pakistani society.

The president asked Ulema and Mashaikh at a largely-attended convention here to promote religious harmony and play their part in ridding society of extremism. He said it was only a small minority of extremists whose actions gave rise to misperceptions about Pakistan, while its vast majority was moderate.

"We are not extremists or terrorists. But we have to prove to the world that we are a moderate Islamic country where the moderates are in absolute majority," he said. Gen Musharraf said Pakistan faced no external threat but a small number of extremist forces "can harm the country internally."

The president said he had been informing the world that the Madressas were the biggest NGOs accommodating and feeding hundreds of thousands of poor children but, he regretted, some institutions "are involved in inflaming hatred and discord."

"I appeal to you to identify and expose such institutions and help bring them on the right path," he urged. Referring to Pakistan Army's action against foreigners in the tribal areas, the president said no foreigner "has the right to be in Pakistan without legal documents" and anyone trying to kick up trouble in Afghanistan from here would be stopped firmly.

"I am fully confident that we will combat them," he stated, vowing a stern action against foreign elements trying to misuse Pakistani soil for their own agenda. He said Pakistan "has never been, and will never be" involved in nuclear proliferation.

"We are a responsible nation and are not at all involved in nuclear proliferation." In this context, he said, whatever actions were recently taken, had been appropriate.

President Musharraf reiterated his firm resolve to safeguard Pakistan's vital national interests and said the country will advance its nuclear capability.

No country can progress in isolation in today's world, he said, adding "we will have to remove misperceptions about our country to attain economic prosperity." The Ulema, he said, could greatly help in creating awareness at the grass-roots level about the problems facing the country.

"We need to correct the misperceptions about the country and put our house in order. We have to project a true image of Islam, which stands for peace, love, brotherhood and harmony and does not allow extremism.

"Let us pledge today that we shall not stop here and take forward our consistent efforts to stamp out extremism." He hoped that such conventions in the provinces will add to the momentum created against the menace of extremism at this conference. -APP