ISLAMABAD, March 4: Pakistan and Britain on Thursday discussed a wide range of issues, including measures to counter terrorism and nuclear proliferation , during meetings of the visiting British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw with President Gen Musharraf, Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali and Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri.

President Musharraf emphasized in his meeting with Mr Straw that it was important for the world community to focus on the resolution of Palestine and Kashmir disputes, and settlement of Afghanistan and Iraq questions, in order to check the growth of extremism and fanaticism and eliminate the scourge of terrorism.

President Gen Musharraf highlighted the need to address the perception of injustice and the feeling of hopelessness in many parts of the Muslim world. Later answering a question at the joint press conference along with Foreign Minister Kasuri at the foreign office, Mr Straw said he shared the analysis of President Musharraf to deal with the environment which bred terrorists.

"That means ensuring justice between Israel and Palestine, a satisfactory and just solution for the conflict in respect of Kashmir and other conflicts," Mr Straw said.

Mr Straw said Britain welcomed the steps taken by Gen Musharraf in recent times to check proliferation activities in Pakistan. "Everyone has an interest in ensuring that there is complete security of nuclear facilities, plans, technology and intellectual property."

In response to a question, Mr Straw said he did not agree (with the notion) that the war on terror was a failure due to clash of two extremist ideologies. He said the terrorism "that all of us are dealing with" started years ago before the Sept 11 attacks with an attempt to blow up the World Trade Centre in 1993.

He said the world, including the US, held back from doing anything for fear of provoking the worst. He said the result was that it got worse in the form of Sept 11 and much more besides.

"Now this is a war by terrorists on the whole civilized world, people of every religion." "Please do not confuse the action that we have to take with the action of the criminals," Mr Straw said.

Answering a question about anti-proliferation activities directed against Islamic states, Mr Straw said the campaign was not directed against the Muslim countries.

"Very few Muslim countries have anything to do with distribution and proliferation of any kind of WMD." He said the United Kingdom stuck rigidly to its international obligations, for example the non-proliferation treaty.

He said Britain wanted tougher international action against proliferation of all kinds against countries and individuals as it was in everybody's interests.Mr Straw, on his fifth visit to Pakistan during the past two years and a half, said the discussions with President Musharraf were dominated by the progress made on the India-Pakistan front, the importance of Kashmir as part of the composite dialogue, non-proliferation and much wider issues "which can affect relations between the Islamic world and rest of the world.

During his meeting with President Musharraf, the two sides also discussed steps being taken by Pakistan and the international community for strengthening security along Pakistan-Afghanistan border and rapid reconstruction and stabilization of Afghanistan.

On nuclear non-proliferation, Mr Straw welcomed the recent steps taken by the president and assured him of UK's support for Pakistan in its bid to re-enter the Commonwealth.

The British foreign secretary said the two sides discussed measures needed to combat illegal immigration and human trafficking and deeper cooperation on counter-terrorism and proliferation issues.

In response to a question about accepting Pakistan as a dejure nuclear power and a member of the nuclear club, Mr Straw said it was an issue to be addressed by the international community with due deliberations.

On the same issue, Mr Kasuri said it would be in the interest of the international community to recognize Pakistan, India and Israel as nuclear powers. He said the steps taken by Pakistan in the recent past showed that it was on board on non-proliferation initiatives.

Mr Kasuri said Pakistan had decided to bring a comprehensive legislation on export controls which would come out soon. On a specific question about recommendations for strengthening non-proliferation measures in Pakistan, Mr Straw said there was a reason to cover the matters with a high degree of security.

He said lessons must be learnt "from what has happened" so the same might not be repeated in the future. He said it was up to Pakistan to decide the fate of those involved in proliferation activities.

"But I am satisfied with the progress which the Pakistani authorities are making and the cooperation they are providing to the International Atomic Energy Agency," Mr Straw said.

About bugging of Pakistan High Commission in the UK by the British intelligence agencies, Mr Straw said the matter was now over. Mr Kasuri said after he received a letter of the British prime minister over the issue, it was decided "to put it behind us."

On the question of a permanent seat for India in the UN Security Council, Mr Straw said the UK had a very longstanding approach to support a permanent seat with no veto power for Japan, Germany and India.

He said all these proposals were now being considered by a high-level working group set up by the UN Secretary General which would give its recommendations on the issue of expansion of the UN Security Council.