British foreign secretary to lend support to Musharraf

ISLAMABAD, July 26 (Reuters) Britain's foreign secretary will lend support today to the Pakistan president's crackdown on Taliban and al Qaeda-linked militants and his pursuit of a moderate path in the face of radicalism.

David Miliband, on his first major trip abroad since he became foreign secretary last month, will discuss with President Pervez Musharraf his efforts to tackle Islamic hardliners and reinforce bilateral cooperation on counter-terrorism.

The visit, which follows a two-day trip to Afghanistan, comes at a pivotal time in Pakistani politics.

General Musharraf is battling to assert his authority following a row over his chief justice and his army's assault on a mosque in Islamabad that was teaching radicalism.

''We have a very strong shared interest in the development of Pakistan as a successful country,'' Miliband told a small group of reporters travelling to Islamabad late yesterday.

Information sharing on counter-terrorism is vital with Britain facing an increased threat. Over half of the counter-terorrism operations of Britain's security services are linked to Pakistan, officials said.

Miliband chose Afghanistan and Pakistan for his first trip outside Europe since Prime Minister Gordon Brown named him to the post to highlight the priorities of London's new government.

Battling terrorism and radicalisation are top of its foreign policy agenda, with Britain on alert over potential attacks and in need of Pakistan's continued help on information sharing.

Musharraf is a key US and British ally in the fight against terrorism.

Britain wants to see Musharraf's policies -- on issues ranging from counter-terrorism to rekindled relations with India to more rights for women -- but would like Musharraf to remove his uniform and run a more civilian administration.

Miliband said Pakistan presented a ''unique set of challenges'' and was pivotally positioned geographically.

He will encourage closer relations between Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan, particularly over an insurgency on their shared border -- a tribal area that US officials say is an al Qaeda safe haven that is largely inaccessible.

Pakistan's military has launched an assault on al Qaeda and Taliban hotbeds in the country's North Waziristan region. Violence has flared since Musharraf's army stormed the Lal Masjid or Red Mosque complex in Islamabad on July 10.

Followers of radical clerics running a Taliban-style movement from the complex refused to surrender, leading to an assault by army commandos in which scores of people were killed.

Reuters LPB DB1004