Pakistan's president says Afghanistan's Taleban militants are now a larger threat to the West than the al-Qaida terrorist network.
Addressing European lawmakers in Brussels Tuesday, President Pervez Musharraf said the Taleban is more dangerous because it enjoys broad support in Afghanistan and has roots with the people of the war-torn country.
The Taleban has been fighting a mounting insurgency against NATO-led troops in southern Afghanistan, with fighters slipping over the border from Pakistan.
Earlier, Mr. Musharraf told lawmakers it is important to peacefully resolve the Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India. He said, however, that Islamabad will not change its stance unless New Delhi shows flexibility with regard to the disputed Himalayan area.
Both of the nuclear-armed nations claim Kashmir as their own. They have fought two wars over the region.
Mr. Musharraf is expected to meet with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of this week's summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Cuba.
After the summit, the Pakistan president will attend the U.N. General Assembly in New York before traveling to Washington for talks with President Bush.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.