Pakistan taking practical anti-terror steps, admits India

[Neo]

Pakistan taking practical anti-terror steps, admits India

Friday, July 02, 2010

NEW DELHI: In a rare admission of Pakistan’s commitment to combat terrorism, India has acknowledged its western neighbour’s efforts to rein in terrorists on its soil.

Talking to Pakistani journalists in the Indian capital on Thursday, Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna commended Pakistan for having taken good practical steps to eliminate the hideouts of extremists and terrorists.

Emphasising that his country was not fully satisfied with the anti-terror measures the Pakistani government had taken, he however admitted that Islamabad’s efforts to tackle terrorism and extremism were moving in the right direction, Geo News reported.

Krishna remarked that the Aman ki Asha initiative jointly launched by the Jang Group of Pakistan and the Times of India group would go a long way in easing tension between the two countries as well as in promoting peace in the region.

The November 2008 Mumbai attacks aggravated the bilateral ties; however, the Jang Group-sponsored project ‘Aman ki Asha’ would help scale down the tension between the two nations, he noted.

Responding to a query about his forthcoming Pakistan visit, the Indian external affairs minister said he expected some headway in efforts to resolve bilateral issues during his meeting with his Pakistani counterpart, Shah Mehmood Qureshi. “It would enhance the outlook for peace in the region,” he said.

He said five points – including the elimination of safe havens for terrorists and putting back in place the atmosphere of trust and trade—were indispensable to normalising relations between Delhi and Islamabad.

Krishna also stated that Pakistan had not yet given India any evidence of the alleged Indian interference in Balochistan’s unrest. “Stability in neighbouring countries is vital for Indian economic uplift,” he added. He maintained that both countries were facing the problems of inflation and poverty and should launch joint efforts to focus on economic development, besides fighting terrorism.

Pakistan taking practical anti-terror steps, admits India