Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf Wednesday said Pakistan is committed to rooting out extremism through a prudent approach in accordance with the country's ground realities and sought academicians' support in addressing the sensitive issue.

"We are not dragging our feet, nor we lack in determination to deal with the complex problem which has to be handled with care. It has to be addressed in its long-term perspective and not through use of force," Musharraf said in Rawalpindi, twin city of Islamabad, during meeting with eminent educationists, scientists and researchers.

Pakistan, he underlined, is certainly moving in a clearly defined direction to get rid of the malaise of extremism and also confronting terrorism with force and these are repercussions of 26- year-long unrest, militancy and strife in Afghanistan and the region.

Musharraf vowed to continue the country's efforts for a societal change and described promotion of education at all levels as one of the means to achieve this objective.

"The academics should support our endeavors by educating young minds with enlightened teachings of Islam which call for tolerance and peace," he said.

Identifying illiteracy and poverty as the other underlying causes of extremism and terrorism, he urged the international community to tackle these issues collectively in a comprehensive manner.

Source: Xinhua