ISTANBUL, Nov 7: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday urged a halt in the US-led bombing on Afghanistan during Ramazan, warning Islamic support for the anti-terrorist operation could be affected.

The president was talking to reporters here at Istanbul airport during a 40-minute stopover here after a two-hour visit to Iran.

“One would certainly wish that the operation does not go on during Ramazan because it will have definite negative effects on the Islamic world,” Musharraf said. The president also held brief talks with Turkish State Minister Sukru Sina Gurel at the airport.

“This is a point I will discuss with President George W. Bush,” he told reporters.

President Musharraf also said that the operation in Afghanistan should be of short duration and should refrain from causing human casualties.

“The operation should be more targeted and it should finish as soon as possible,” he said. “It should not have any collateral damage or (civilian) casualties.”

Gen Musharraf said that his talks with western leaders would focus on what is happening in Afghanistan and the future of the war-torn country.

“We will discuss three strategies: military, political and rehabilitation of Afghanistan,” Musharraf said. “The three strategies need to function together.”

He underlined the need to protect Afghanistan’s unity and stressed that a subsequent political solution in the country should come from the Afghan people themselves and not from outside.

“I certainly oppose any plan to divide Afghanistan. That is most unnatural and unpractical,” Musharraf said.

“There has to be a broad-based government based on multi-ethnic lines taking into consideration the demographic composition of the country and every solution has to be home-grown by the people of Afghanistan,” he added.

Gen Musharraf also said that Pakistan was financially hit by the war in Afghanistan and it expected economic assistance from the west in return for its support for the anti-terror drive.

“We will not lodge a specific demand, but our partners in the international coalition are aware of our economic problems and are helping us,” he said.

He denied suggestions that opposition to the war in his own country could endanger his own administration. He said extremists represented only a small minority in Pakistan.

“Pakistan is a very moderate Islamic country,” he said.

“I can very proudly say that Pakistan and Turkey share a commonality of vision and a commonality of thoughts on Afghanistan whatever is happening there,” the president said.

Earlier in his two-hour stopover in Tehran, President Musharraf agreed with the Iranian leaders on the need to coordinate their actions regarding the US-led campaign, state IRNA news agency reported.

“We must coordinate action between the two countries,” Musharraf was quoted as saying by IRNA, during his brief airport stop on his way to the UN General Assembly session in New York.

“The differences found in the world must be settled on a foundation of justice and under the fairness and guidance of the United Nations,” Musharraf said.

“Terrorist actions are inspired by extremist ideas and, to truly wrestle against them, considered decisions and measures by the Islamic world are needed,” he said.

Musharraf did not see Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, who is also due to attend the UN meetings in New York.

He was welcomed by Mohsen Aminzadeh, deputy foreign minister responsible for Afghan affairs at Tehran’s Mehrabad airport.

He later held talks with First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, who reiterated Iran’s opposition to the war in Afghanistan.

“We must quickly stop the war. We must reestablish security in Afghanistan,” he said.

“Iran is ready to collaborate with the UN and to coordinate with Pakistan and neighbouring countries, toward this goal. But we must work toward an accepted group definition of terrorism,” he added.

He will address the UN General Assembly in New York on Saturday, and will cap his voyage by meeting later in the day with President Bush on the sidelines of the world body’s sessions, Pakistani officials said.—Agencies