ISLAMABAD, Oct 8: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Monday compared terrorism to a tree and termed the attack on Afghanistan chopping of one of its branches, stressing that the very root of the problem, Kashmir and Palestine, had to be removed.

Speaking at a press conference a day after all hell was let loose on Afghanistan, the president said he did not deem it fit to seek an assurance from the United States and Britain regarding the implementation of UN resolutions on the Kashmir issue as it was not directly linked to recent developments.

President Musharraf said that in his interaction with all the leaders of the world he had conveyed the feeling of betrayal among the people.

There was a feeling that Pakistan had been left high and dry after the Soviet withdrawal for Afghanistan. “I have reasons to believe it would not happen this time,” he added.

The president said there was a great deal of understanding regarding Pakistan’s economic difficulties and added that the United States had assured Islamabad of its help.

Regarding a recent terrorist attack ouside the legislature in Srinagar, the president said this incident had nothing to do with freedom struggle.

He said Pakistan had condemned this attack. “We do not support such incidents as they involve loss of lives of innocent citizens.” Such attacks were designed to damage the freedom struggle of Kashmiri people, he added.

Replying to a question, the president said security had been tightened just to prevent any terrorist attack. He denied that there was any threat to his government and said a vast majority of the people had been supporting his government.

He said loss of innocent lives in a terrorist attack always distressed him. The government, he said, had been taking a number of measures, including revamping of law enforcement agencies, to address the problem of terrorism, which had internal as well as external causes.