Karachi: Vowing to "eliminate" militants, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said terrorism will have to be tackled with force as there is no political solution to the menace.

Musharraf said his government was committed to root out the scourge, adding "we have to break the back of terrorism and extremism and work for the sustained (growth of the) economy to make Pakistan stronger".

"The killing of innocent people at the hands of terrorists and extremists through blasts and suicidal attacks breaks my heart but we have to fight them out," he said while asserting that the menace would have to be overcome with force as there is no political solution.

Referring to anti-terrorism operations in Swat valley in North West Frontier Province (NWFP), he said it has yielded big successes. The militants will be "eliminated" and the "root causes" of terrorism will be addressed, he said.

Musharraf made the remarks yesterday at a ceremony in the Governor House during which he unveiled the foundation stone for a signal-free traffic corridor. He spoke shortly before an explosion ripped through a crowded commercial area in Karachi, killing 10 people and injuring 45 more.

The blast was the latest in a series of bomb attacks across the country that have killed hundreds of people, most of them members of the security forces.

Twenty-six people, including 22 policemen, were killed in Lahore on January 10 when a suicide bomber blew himself up near a police picket close to the High Court.

Musharraf also said the army would be out on the streets during and after the February 18 general election to ensure that the poll process is not disrupted. The troops have been instructed to shoot any troublemakers who try to disrupt the polls.

Source : PTI