New York, Sept 23: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has accused India of failing to respond to his country's peace initiative on a composite and meaningful dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues, including Kashmir. In a speech at the Asia Society Council of Foreign Relations, Musharraf said that it was imperative to look at the root causes which bred terrorism and to address them with utmost priority. He referred to Kashmir and Palestine issues in this regard.

Musharraf said that Pakistan has devised a two-pronged short term and long term strategy to root out terrorism. Elaborating on the strategy, he said while dealing with the Taliban and al Qaeda was the short term strategy the long term strategy pertained to the one which looked at the root cause of terrorism and sources that contributed and bred terrorism. He also said that those who maintain that Pakistan has not done enough in respect of elimination of terrorism unfortunately failed to appreciate the prevailing ground realities.

Declaring that Pakistan is committed to making the world a safer place, he assailed the perception in the West that Islam had anything to do with militancy or extremism. Bureau Report