Brown 'praises Musharraf's role against terrorism'

ISLAMABAD: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown telephoned President Pervez Musharraf on Thursday to praise his efforts to curb militancy and terrorism, a senior Pakistani official said.   

It was Brown's first contact with the Pakistani military ruler, a key ally in international attempts to tackle extremism, since taking over from Tony Blair on June 27.   

"The British Prime Minister appreciated President Musharraf's key role in the fight against militancy and terrorism and promised to maintain close ties between the two countries," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.   

The two leaders also discussed "long-standing bilateral ties between the two allies and agreed to further strengthen them," he said.   

Brown's contact with Musharraf came as Pakistani security forces were battling to dislodge Islamic militants still holed up in Islamabad's Red Mosque.   

Sources said the mosque crisis also came up in the discussion between the two leaders, though the official would not confirm or deny it.