Pakistan 'cracking down on extremists': UK

Britain has expressed satisfaction today that President Gen Pervez Musharraf was cracking down on Islamic extremists and said there was “no question” of blaming Pakistan for the July 7 bombings that killed 56 people in London.

“The suicide bombers of July 7 were not Pakistani. They were British,” British High Commissioner Mark Lyall Grant told a news conference.

“It is true that three were of Pakistani origin and that at least two had travelled to Pakistan on a number of occasions. But all four were brought up, educated and presumably radicalised in the UK. There is no question of blaming Pakistan for these attacks.”

He voiced support for a Pakistan government plan to expel more than 1,400 foreign students, including Britons, from religious schools across Pakistan, saying that a minority of the madrassas promoted sectarianism and violence.

Two weeks ago, Musharraf also promised to arrest leaders of banned extremist groups, saying he was now in a stronger position to campaign against religious militants than during a limited crackdown in 2002, in which some extremist outfits were outlawed only to emerge under new names.

“I am satisfied that (the crackdown) is going ahead and is being pursued vigorously by police in different provinces of Pakistan,” Grant said, describing Musharraf as a “very important ally in the struggle against terrorism”.

Pakistani authorities have detained hundreds of people suspected of links with militant groups in recent weeks, including some preachers accused of spreading sectarianism and hatred, but no prominent leaders of banned militant groups have been reported arrested.

Grant refused to discuss details of investigations into the July 7 bombings, but said Britain was receiving “excellent co-operation” from Pakistan.