Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, under intense pressure from opposition legislators to quit as army chief, has said he would do so only after turning the country into a 'stable democracy'.

"I do understand this is not democratic and I've said this very openly in Pakistan....but under the present circumstances of turmoil in the region, internationally and internally, there is a requirement of stability and unity of command that I am providing," Musharraf told the Canadian parliament's foreign affairs committee at Ottawa on Friday.

'The moment the democratic structure stabilises, I will remove the uniform," local media quoted him as saying.

Musharraf claimed most legislators wanted him to stay on as army chief.

On Jammu and Kashmir, Musharraf said Pakistan stood for a peaceful resolution of the dispute but it could not be 'rolled under the carpet'. He said India and Pakistan would have to resolve the issue through composite dialogue.

Musharraf also said his country is playing a pivotal role in the fight against terrorism.

"We are carrying out the fight against terrorism in all dimensions, and aspersions against Pakistan in the context of our Western [Afghan] border are totally wrong," he said, adding that Pakistan had acted against the Al Qaeda and the Taliban.

Musharraf said Pakistan is also fighting religious extremism within the country and had taken over the inaccessible tribal regions bordering Afghanistan.