New York: Utilising the forum of conference on terrorism, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on September 22 sought international recognition for "legitimate freedom struggle" in Kashmir and to persuade India to talk to Pakistan.

"The international community which desires peace and security in South Asia must persuade India to end its repression in Kashmir and resume a dialogue with Pakistan. We are ready for dialogue. Now it's India's call. It should respond positively," he said in an address to a "Fighting Terrorism for Humanity" summit.

Dwelling on his pet theme of Kashmir, he said the "most deadly form of terrorism is state terrorism, which targets people from seeking freedom from foreign occupation".

"Those who are committing state terrorism against occupied peoples often depict their legitimate movements for self-determination as terrorism," Musharraf said.

He said until India implements Security Council resolution granting right of self-determination to people of Kashmir and stop "violent suppression of the people".

"Equating this freedom struggle with terrorism is a travesty," he told the conference.

The UN he said must promote a solution of Kashmir as it did for East Timor on the basis of UN resolution.

Musharraf also warned the world against equating Islam with terrorism, saying that after the September 11, 2001 attacks against the US, terrorism had become equated with al-Qaida and by extension with Islam.

"This is an artificial and perilous linkage," he said, adding, "There is a growing sense among Muslims that Islam, as a religion, is being targeted and pilloried."

In his speech, Musharraf argued that there was no such thing as "militant Islam" and that there were only some "militant Muslims".

"Those who abuse the faith of Islam to propagate violence do not represent Muslims. They do not serve Islam. We need to marginalise them and exclude them in our polity and society," he added.

The Pakistani leader was attending the conference organised by Norway and International Peace Academy. Eighteen heads of state are attending the summit, including French President Jacques Chirac, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Afghan President Hamid Karzai. India was not represented.

PTI