Safe havens for terrorists inside Pakistan were the main hurdle in normalising bilateral relations with the neighbouring country, India said on Friday. Talking to reporters, Indian Defence Minister AK Antony said if Pakistan was sincere in improving relations with India, it should first destroy the terror infrastructure on its soil.
Without naming any particular entity, he said it was a known fact that elements in Pakistan’s government structure were supporting terrorists. With reference to the latest revelations by the WikiLeaks, Antony said, “I don’t want to comment on the leaks. But at the same time, we know very well there are elements in Pakistan in various structures, which are supporting the terrorists. It is a known fact to everybody.”
“In fact, that is the main hurdle for our normalising relations between India and Pakistan. The safe havens for terrorists, recruitment of the terrorists…these are the main concerns for us,” he noted. When asked about the killing of Osama bin Laden, Antony noted a possibility of fallout in the neighbourhood which could also affect India. He said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s view on India not intending to carry out an Abbottabad-style operation was binding on the government.
When asked about the alleged presence of Chinese armed forces in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Antony said, “It is a matter of serious concern to us.” Meanwhile, according to a leaked diplomatic cable, Home Minister P Chidambaram told US in 2009 that India would have no choice but to respond to another attack on its territory from Pakistan-based militants.
Chidambaram expressed frustration at Pakistan’s unwillingness to crack down on militant groups during talks with US Under-Secretary of State Bill Burns, according to a June 2009 cable from the WikiLeaks that was published by The Hindu. Discussing the prospect of another attack in India after the Mumbai 2008 assault that left 166 people dead, the home minister noted that “the people of India will expect us to respond. We won’t have any other choice.”
In another mid-2009 cable accessed by The Hindu, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton instructed the US embassy in Islamabad to warn the Pakistani government of “credible reports” that the LeT was planning another attack in India. The embassy was instructed “to underscore to senior Pakistani government officials the critical importance of Pakistani cooperation in preventing Lashkar-e-Taiba attacks on India.”
