Islamabad, 23 Sept. (AKI) - Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari said on Tuesday the weekend bomb attack on the Marriott Hotel was a challenge for democracy and reiterated his government’s resolve to fight terrorism.

In a television interview with a US network, President Zardari said terrorists were challenging Pakistan's democracy and his government had to remain united in combating terrorism.

Zardari was due to meet US President Bush for crucial talks at the United Nations in New York on Tuesday. Pakistan's fight against terrorism and controversial attacks by US troops targeting militants inside Pakistan are certain to dominate their agenda.

Asked about recent incursions by US troops inside Pakistan in the interview, the president said the Americans were violating the United Nations' Charter and called it an attack on the country’s sovereignty.

According to Pakistan's Geo News, he said that Pakistan will ask any US troops that cross the border to leave and expressed confidence that they would.

The president reiterated that the fight against terrorism is Pakistan's war and he was certain it would be able to defeat the terrorists with the cooperation of its allies.

But he made it clear that only Pakistani troops were responsible for fighting terrorism on Pakistani soil and urged the US to share intelligence with Islamabad.

Pakistan is under growing pressure from the United States to act against Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants along its border with Afghanistan, but Pakistan accuses the US of violating its sovereignty.

But it is unclear whether Zardari has the domestic support he needs, especially from the Pakistani military, to intensify the fight against terrorists inside his own nation.

Fifty-three people, including the two Defence Department employees, were killed and 266 others were wounded in the suicide attack on the Marriott.