Pakistan has "broken the back" of al-Qaeda and smashed its command structure, President Pervez Musharraf said at the end of his two-day state visit to Britain today.

Some 600 suspected members of the terrorist network were arrested by Pakistan after the September 11 attacks, and al-Qaeda today is on the run in his country, the President said.

"There ought to be no reason for any doubts that Pakistan has won, is winning the battle against extremism and terrorism within its own area," he added.

General Musharraf and Tony Blair claimed "total consonance of views" on dealing with terrorism and its causes. They also professed unity on the issues of Palestine, Iraq, Afganistan and Kashmir at the Downing Street press conference.

Terrorists must be met head-on with military force, they agreed, but the root causes must be addressed too. "These two things need to go together."

Terrorism sprang both from political issues such as the Middle East and from endemic poverty and social inequality.

World conditions were now right for resolving the Middle East problem, the Prime Minister said. "Now is the moment to grasp the possibilities. I think the next period of time is absolutely crucial. An opportunity for change is opening up and may not come for us again."

On Iraq, both were resolved to see through the current course of action, whatever the disagreements of the past, until Iraq is stable and capable of becoming a democratic state.

Afghanistan, in turmoil for 25 years just across Pakistan's western border, brought extremism and terrorism into his own country, President Musharraf said, and the situation is now much better on both sides.

The Prime Minister hoped that British diplomacy could help restore dialogue between India and Pakistan so that their dispute over Kashmir does not wholly dominate their relationship.

It was better to concentrate on improving economic life for the people in Kashmir, he said. General Musharraf agreed: "Any solution has to be acceptable to the people of Kashmir."

Mr Blair also thanked the Pakistani community in the UK for its contribution to British life.

It was President Musharraf's third official visit to Britain, which is Pakistan's main trading partner in Europe. Mr Blair said he would back Packistan's efforts to win easier access for its goods to the rest of the EU.

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