He was talking to a 30-member delegation of students of Stanford University Graduate School of Business, USA, who are on a visit to the metropolis, here at the Governor House.
The president informed the students from seven nationalities, including two of Pakistan origin, that the country is focusing on economy, trade and commercial activities.
He said the country is targeting exports of $17 billion this year. Pakistan has attained a 125 percent increase under this head, he added. President Musharraf said that the country needed to increase its trade manifold.
He said that Pakistan is looking for additional market access in the United States, which gives preferential trade treatment to many developing countries.
This, he added, would enable in opening of more factories and creation of jobs, which would contribute towards poverty alleviation.
"We are looking for enhancing trade with the West. We are looking for diversification of our goods also and diversifying our own market," General Musharraf said.
He said, "We are looking at the East also. We have good relations with China. We are trying to give boost to our economic and commercial relation with China, with South East Asia and with Africa."
"We want as much investment coming into Pakistan as possible, the president added. He said, "In 1999-2000 we modified our approach that we must go into the heavy industry, hi-technology and engineering." Musharraf said that this sector is growing rapidly.
He said that the country is doing well in the engineering sector, automobile sector and the air-conditioner and refrigerator industry is also performing well. With this we need to get the investment in such areas, he added.
The president pointed out that economy is the core issue and that we have to enhance our trade and our efforts are directed to this very end.
He said that since this is a knowledge-based world, we are looking at our education, especially higher education.
The president said that various developed countries are approached for the opening of hi-technology and engineering universities in Pakistan.
He said that within next three to five years we would get the engineering universities opened with the assistance of Sweden, Austria, Germany, France and South Korea. The president said that we would harmonise these engineering universities with our industrial sector.
He said that Japan is also assisting Pakistan in developing technical centres so that we can have skilled manpower available.
Musharraf said that we need assistance from the world in higher education, engineering sector as well as for enhancing our trade and bringing investment to Pakistan.
The president also said that he has proposed a strategy of Enlightened Moderation where the Muslims reject extremism and terrorism and go on the path of socio-economic development. The West must resolve political disputes that are at the root of extremism because it involves only Muslims today whether it is Palestine, Kashmir, Chechnya, Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan or Kosovo.
He said that in the Muslim context we are trying to do a lot. The Enlightened Moderation has been adopted by the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC).
He that we are in the process of restructuring the OIC to follow the path of socio-economic development, rejecting extremism and terrorism.
He also said that Pakistan has adopted a six-point strategy, short-term and long-term, to deal with extremism.
Spelling out the short-term strategy, he said, all the extremist organisations be banned and their leaders should be put behind the bars. They must not be allowed to re-emerge by different names.
He said we are moving against anyone printing, distributing, publishing the proscribed literature - about 90 pamphlets, magazines and books (have been) named by the government.
The president pointed out that we are looking into misuse of our mosques by certain clerics who abuse and create more hatred and militancy.
He said as the long-term measures, we are looking into our syllabus and curriculum to teaching the essence and values of Islam rather than the rituals.
We have about 14,000 Madressah where about one million students are studying. We are trying to mainstream these by asking them to teach all subjects according to our board's syllabus and take examinations accordingly.
The president said that Pakistan is the only country, which has evolved a strategy to address terrorism and extremism at its roots.
He said he is proud to say that we have strategised everything under the sun.
Musharraf said our end objective is clear and now we are in the implementation stage and as time passes we will keep moving to that objective.
He made it clear that our end direction is to make Pakistan a dynamic, progressive, economically stable and strong country. And that is why we have given the slogan: "Pakistan comes first always".
He said that we have created an investor-friendly environment in Pakistan by modifying our rules and regulations.
Any investor coming to Pakistan is allowed 100 percent equity. All the facilities that are available to Pakistanis would also be available to the foreign investors, he added.
Musharraf said the security of the capital is ensured through laws. The profitability today is maximum. Because of the upsurge in the economy there is a vast increase in the purchasing power of individuals in Pakistan.
He said that per capita income of the country had been $460 and now it is $791 and with this we are a middle income country from low-income group.
The president said that 700 foreign firms are operating here and they are making up to 60 percent profit. So there is a lot of profitability here and this is not possible in any western country.
He said Pakistan should not be seen as a standalone country. We have a big population of 130 million.
Pakistan is at the hub of the Central Asia and Afghanistan, South Asia - India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Gulf and the western region of China.
He said that a lot of investment is coming and that today the hotel occupancy is 100 percent. The president said a number of hotels are coming up in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad and generally the investors are from outside.
He said that Pakistan is doing well and asked the US students to also help in projecting Pakistan.
The students were invited by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad to visit the Governor House and have a look at the historical premises. Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad, Sindh Senior Minister Syed Sardar Ahmed and City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal were also present on the occasion.