Lahore, Apr. 27 : Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said that foreigners hiding in the country’s Tribal Areas are carrying out and supporting terrorist activities.

Addressing participants of the 88th National Management Course (NMC) and the Third Senior NMC at National Management College in Lahore, Musharraf said foreigners, especially Uzbeks and Afghans, who had links with al Qaeda were hiding in Pakistan’s tribal belt and the mountains.

He said terrorism and extremist were hampering Pakistan’s development and he feared that the influence of the Taliban could beyond the Tribal Areas to Swat and southern parts of the NWFP.

“We have to chalk out long-term strategy to address these grave problems,” the Daily Times quoted Musharraf, as saying.

He also stressed on the need for continuity in policies, warning that changing the previous government’s policies could hinder Pakistan’s development.

“The government sector faces two major problems – a large gap between policy formulation and implementation as well as lack of sustainability and continuation,” he said.

“The job of a government is to ensure security, progress and development of the country and welfare and well-being of its people,” he concluded. (ANI)