Islamabad: Pakistan on September 29 said that it would not be deterred by threat calls purportedly made by top al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri against President Pervez Musharraf, and reiterated its commitment to fight terrorism.

"Al-Qaida is a terrorist organisation. Pakistan is part of the war on terrorism, and our pursuit of terrorists, al-Qaida and their associates, will continue despite these threats," Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesman Masood Khan told reporters.

Responding to a question about an audiotape purported to have come from al-Qaida leader al-Zawahiri warning Musharraf and urging Pakistan Army and people to overthrow his regime, Khan said Pakistan and Musharraf were fighting for the Islamic world and have become a symbol of Muslim unity.

He said Musharraf has become a bridge between the Islamic world and the West.

Rejecting allegations made by al-Qaida, he said these were misplaced and a deliberately designed campaign to mislead people of Pakistan and the Islamic world.

Replying to a question about Afghan President Hamid Karzai's statement that students from Deeni Madaris, (Islamic schools) in Pakistan joined terrorist activities, he said such allegations were totally baseless and unsubstantiated.

"There is a problem along Pakistan-Afghan border. While smaller size of al-Qaida and Taleban remnants may be on Pakistani side, the majority of them are on the Afghan side," he said, adding the need was that all forces on both sides of the border should coordinate more effectively to interdict al- Qaida and Taleban remnants."

PTI