OTTAWA, Sept 27: Canada’s leading newspapers have given a mixed reaction to President Pervez Musharraf’s visit to Ottawa and his government’s role in the war against terrorism.

The Toronto Star in an editorial comment described the Pakistani head of state as “an impressive figure”, while a political analyst of its rival newspaper, The Globe and Mail, said that “Canada has the distinction of welcoming the leader of what, by any fair reading of mounting evidence, is a state supporting terrorism. That is disturbing to say the least.

The Toronto Star in its editorial said: “By any standard, Pakistan’s Gen. Pervez Musharraf is an impressive figure. Commando. Gutsy front-line ally of Canada since 9/11 in the war on terror. A foe of corruption, anarchy, extremism.”

The editorial also called Gen. Musharraf a “thoughtful exponent of Muslim moderation.” It said the Pakistani president, while speaking at the United Nations, delivered a forceful, principled message that Islamic extremists betray their faith. “The real values of Islam are not ... militancy, extremism and terrorism. (They are) poverty alleviation, health, education, social justice.” But he warned as well that those in the West who make Islam the enemy will reap the whirlwind.

The editorial also said that Gen. Musharraf is a military dictator who believes “democracy has failed” in his homeland. “In truth, he hijacked it in 1999 in a putsch, substituting what he calls ‘guided democracy.’ He can dissolve Parliament on a whim,” said the editorial.