Musharraf denies supporting Taliban

President Pervez Musharraf says he does not support Taliban and is committed to fight terrorism.

President Pervez Musharraf has rejected a British media report that Pakistan still supports the Taliban and reiterated his commitment to fight terrorism "in all its forms and manifestations".

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Musharraf made the assertion to the commander-in-chief of the US Central Command (Centcom), General John P Abizaid.

Pakistani writer and journalist Ahmed Rashid's report in The Daily Telegraph of London had said that NATO commanders from the US, Britain, Canada, Denmark and the Netherlands have demanded that their government "get tough" with Pakistan over its alleged support to the Taliban militia.

Musharraf said a joint strategy and close cooperation in the area of intelligence sharing was vital to the success of the anti-terror campaign in Afghanistan.

Anti-terrorist efforts should take into account the ground realties and accordingly frame strategies, Musharraf told Gen Abizaid.