The Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is due to hold talks expected to focus on fighting terrorism with US President George W Bush. President Musharraf told the BBC that his government was playing a leading role in the fight against terrorism, especially the al-Qaeda network.
| That's a good thing, since its headquarters is in Pakland... |
Mr Musharraf will also deliver a speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. On Friday he will meet Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. It is the first meeting between the two since Mr Singh's Congress-led coalition government took office in May. The two South Asian leaders are among about 100 heads of state and government attending the General Assembly. President Musharraf told the BBC that he hoped to develop a good relationship with the new Indian prime minister.
Correspondents say that President Musharraf has spent his time in the United States so far promoting his favourite theme - enlightened moderation in the Muslim world. This means dedication to Islam but not fanaticism and exclusion of other faiths and other countries. The BBC's Paul Anderson in Islamabad says President Musharraf is likely to develop the idea during his address to the General Assembly. The Pakistani President has said he is trying to move Pakistan away from a "culture" of extremism. "This was a culture, a society which was moving towards extremism and fundamentalism, and I am trying to reverse this trend and give voice to the vast majority of Pakistanis who are moderates," he told The New York Times.
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