Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf [Images] has said the pace of improvement of relations with India was slow and it could move faster.

"The pace of improvement is not sufficient and it could move faster," Musharraf told the state-run Daily News in Colombo when asked about ties between India and Pakistan.

The interview was conducted in the backdrop of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse's visit to Pakistan starting Friday.

Musharraf reacted sharply to a suggestion that he was a dictator, claiming he was a moderniser and stabiliser of Pakistan.

"I am not a dictator. I was not a dictator or a harsh person even in the army. Even then I believed in carrying along others with me and I continue to do so. Anyone can speak against me. Read our newspapers, watch our TV. Anyone can speak against me. Look at what the opposition is saying. Just look at the media," he said adding, there cannot be media freedom in the country if he was a dictator.

Asked about terrorism, Musharraf said the funding for it must be dried up globally and it must be defeated.

Maintaining that he was against separatism in Sri Lanka [Images], Musharraf said, "We believe and respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Sri Lanka."

Asked how he saw Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's engagement in suicide terror which killed President R Premadasa and former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and others, the Pakistani leader said, "Yes. They started the cult of suicide bombings. I have always said that funding of terrorism must be dried up globally and terrorism must be defeated."

Referring to the visit of the Sri Lankan leader, Musharraf said, "It is very important to cement the political relationship between the two countries through economic and other cooperation."