The UK and Pakistan have agreed to strengthen their ties to fight terrorism following talks between the countries' two leaders in Lahore.

Prime Minister Tony Blair and President Pervez Musharraf agreed that restoring order in Afghanistan was crucial.

Mr Blair said defeating terrorism would take a long time but praised Pakistan's co-operation. The president said his country was doing all it could to help.

But he added that defeating the Taleban could not be done by force alone.

Following talks with President Musharraf, Mr Blair returned to the capital, Islamabad, where he visited the Faisal Mosque and met moderate Islamic religious leaders for a private discussion.

'Highest point'

Earlier, at a news conference in Lahore, Mr Blair announced the UK would double its aid to Pakistan to pay for the reform of the Islamic religious schools, or madrassas, some of which have been accused of encouraging extremism.

Describing the weekend's talks as "immensely constructive", Mr Blair paid tribute to the president's "courage and his leadership in taking Pakistan on this journey of change and modernization" .

He said relations with Pakistan were at "their highest point for many years" and praised the country for its co-operation in counter-terrorism.

Mr Blair pledged a commitment to battling the Taleban, saying: "This terrorism that we are facing, of which one manifestation is what has happened in Afghanistan, has been a long time going and will take a long time to defeat.

"Nobody should be in any doubt at all about our commitment to Afghanistan."

It was of "fundamental importance" to global security "to stick with it and see the job through," he said.

Gen Musharraf said the exchange had led to an understanding and an enhancement in relations, but warned that military force alone would not defeat the Taleban in Afghanistan.

He argued that Pakistan was working hard to stop extremists in his country from helping the Taleban.

"The Taleban problem is an Afghan problem. It is in the south-eastern region of Afghanistan, being supported by elements from this side," he said.

"We need to put our house in order here on our side and make sure that this support is cut off. But the main battle is in Afghanistan, in the south-eastern region of Afghanistan."

Assistance package

The president called for reconstruction of this area of Afghanistan before the Taleban could be defeated.

He also told reporters he believed that resolution of the Palestinian dispute was at the "core" of the fight against terror, adding that Mr Blair "agrees totally with me".

The leaders' expressions of unity follow a leaked report in September, which claimed Pakistan's intelligence service, ISI, had indirectly helped the Taleban and al-Qaeda.

Mr Blair assured Gen Musharraf at the time that the report, by a naval commander at the Ministry of Defense, did not reflect his government's view.

Gen Musharraf, interviewed by the BBC, rejected the claims in the report, and said ISI's support was vital.

At Sunday's press conference, Mr Blair confirmed his pledge to double UK development aid for Pakistan to £480m ($960m).

It will be used over three years to support Gen Musharraf's educational reforms.

There will also be a counter-terrorism package of technical assistance, worth some £8m ($15m), UK officials said.

Pakistan's co-operation in cracking down on cross-border infiltration by Taleban militants is seen as critically important for the success of US and Nato military operations in Afghanistan.

Photo Caption

Pakistan president Pervez Musharaf and UK prime minister Tony Blair