ISLAMABAD, SEPT 7, SPA -- President General Pervez Musharraf says Pakistan will not be allowed to become a soft state and safe haven for foreign terrorists and urged the Ulema (religious leaders) and media to play their role for curbing terrorism. He was speaking about the comprehensive strategy being followed to check extremism and terrorism in Pakistan in the state-run Pakistan Television (PTV) weekly programme Aiwan-e-Sadr sey (from the presidential palace) Thursday night. They indulge in terrorist activity in other countries and then seek refuge here; let us not make Pakistan a soft state, where law and order cannot be maintained, Musharraf said. The President said in the past foreigners used to frequent religious schools in Pakistan that usually do not hold any records and mentioned the arrest of the brother of the Bali bombing terrorist Hambali from a religious seminary in Pakistan. There can be no safe haven in Pakistan for terrorists, he said and added that there has been 95 per cent success in this regard. He termed extremism and terrorism a national issue and urged the media to create awareness among the people about these challenges. Unless we control extremism and terrorism, Pakistan s future will remain at stake, the President warned. He said the Ulema also need to contribute in these efforts and he would soon be meeting them to discuss the threat. Musharraf said a Madressah Strategy was being pursued to bring religious seminaries into the mainstream and to stop their use by extremists and terrorists. He described the religious seminaries as the best NGOs in the world, and said he has been at the forefront pleading internationally the justification for their existence. The President did not agree with a questioner who said that all the seminaries were engaged in preparing suicide bombers . Not all Madaris are involved in extremism, the President said and pointed out that only a handful were indulging in such activity. Musharraf said Jihad was the responsibility of the government and the seminaries need to teach the young students to wage Jihad-e-Akbar against social evils such as illiteracy and poverty. He stressed upon greater transparency in the affairs of the religious seminaries like the other schools and colleges and added that the students there should not be indoctrinated, as generally they come purely for religious education.--more www.spa.gov.sa/480685