Bajaur madrasa trained suicide bombers: Musharraf

ISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf on Saturday said that the Bajaur madrasa, which was destroyed in a Pakistani air strike last week, trained suicide bombers and it was under observation for a year.

Charging Maulana Liaqat of the Bajaur madrasa for training suicide bombers, he said that terrorism and fundamentalism would be dealt with an iron hand.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of Lahore-Faisalabad motorway passing through Shiekhupura in Punjab, Musharraf said those killed in the air strike were between 25 to 35 years.

A film on the training of militants had been viewed by him just five minutes before the operation took place, he said.

Eighty persons, staying in the madrasa, were killed in the air strike.

Musharraf said the government wanted a political solution to problems but made it clear that terrorism will be "fought back with full energy."

He said that "the people should not listen to those, who are lying and trying to exploit the public while sitting in their drawing rooms and coming on television."

He asked the people to support leaders backing his policies in the general elections, scheduled to be held next year.

He said that the law and order and economic conditions were getting better and higher amounts of foreign investments were coming into the country.