Terror camps in Pakistan threat to world: India

ISLAMABAD - No report has been received regarding any unusual activity by Indian forces in Rajasthan sector, said ISPR spokesman on Monday. Brushing aside reports, Maj-Gen Athar Abbas said no such report had been received. Earlier, there were reports saying India had deployed more troops and fighter aircraft along the Rajasthan border while Indian air force had beefed up security around important installations and that more radars had also been installed near the border. An Indian newspaper has claimed that India started deploying troops along Rajasthan border. Security in and around Indian defence airstrips has been tightened. Indian Air Force (IAF) sources said security around places of strategic importance has been stepped up. They said more radars and QRTs have been deployed along India's border with Pakistan. IAF had initiated these measures to strengthen its air defence to face any eventuality at a short notice. Additional hangars and runways have been prepared and all the radars have been put on high alert. Sources said tight radar surveillance is being maintained to keep a watch on any suspected movements along the border. Indian forces were on regular firing exercises at locations like Lathi Firing Range in Jaisalmer, Mahsan in Bikaner, Suratgarh and Ganganagar. Agencies add: Terming terror infrastructure in Pakistan as the "greatest danger" to the entire world, India has said that the efforts made by the international community to deal with the situation are "not enough" and New Delhi will use "all measures" necessary to tackle the problem. Slamming Pakistan for not keeping its promise of ending cross-border terrorism, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said India is "not closing any options". Mukherjee said the Mumbai strikes and the attack on Kabul Embassy show that terrorism emanating from Pakistan is "acquiring an increasingly dangerous dimension and continues to threaten peace and stability in this region and beyond." Speaking at the inauguration of the first ever meeting of over 120 Indian Ambassadors and High Commissioners in New Delhi, he said India has sought the support of the international community to put pressure on Pakistan to "deal effectively" with terrorism. India has highlighted that the infrastructure of terrorism in Pakistan has to be dismantled permanently, he told the first-of-its-kind conclave being held in the backdrop of a fresh chill in relations between New Delhi and Islamabad. "We are not saying this because we are affected but because we believe that it will be good for the entire world and also for Pakistani people and society," he underlined. Describing the terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan as the "greatest terrorist danger to peace and security of the entire civilised world," Mukherjee said "there has been some effort so far by the international community but this is not enough." He said he wanted to see more results from US-led attempts to force Pakistan to co-operate with the probe into the attacks, which India blames on Pakistan-based militants. "Much more needs to be done (by the international community) and the actions should be pursued to their logical conclusion," Mukherjee said, adding India needs "effective steps" not only to bring to justice those responsible for Mumbai attacks but also to ensure that such acts of terrorism do not recur. "Unfortunately, Pakistan's response so far has demonstrated their earlier tendency to resort to a policy of denial and to seek to deflect and shift the blame and responsibility," the External Affairs Minister said. He said India expects the "civilian government" of Pakistan to take effective steps to deal with elements within that country "who still continue the use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy." Mukherjee said India has "so far acted with utmost restraint" and is hopeful that the international community will use its influence to urge Pakistani government to take effective action. "While we continue to persuade the international community and Pakistan, we are also clear that ultimately it is we who have to deal with this problem," he said. The Indian Minister said, "Pakistan's response so far has demonstrated their earlier tendency to resort to a policy of denial and to seek to deflect and shift the blame and responsibility (for the Mumbai attacks)." Later talking to reporters, Mukherjee said Pakistan cannot "shirk" its responsibility of fulfilling its "promises" and "commitments" given to India on ending cross-border terrorism. On whether military action could be one of the options, he shot back saying, "If you ask about military conflict, nobody will say about it in the media. There is a particular situation. We have kept our options open." In his address to the Heads of Missions, he said India has continued with efforts to deepen engagement, either bilaterally or multilaterally, even by assuming a built-in asymmetry in responsibilities. Citing the 7th July suicide attack on Indian embassy in Kabul, Mukherjee said steps were being taken to strengthen the security of Indian missions abroad so that such incidents could be avoided. The government is also in the process of classifying Indian missions in different categories depending upon threat perception and to provide them with requisite number of professionally trained security guards and security equipment, he said. Meanwhile, hours after External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee reiterated that India has kept all options open to bring the perpetrators of Mumbai attacks to justice, the government sources made it clear that Islamabad has no other option but to fulfil the promises it has made. Only when Pakistan fulfils its previous commitments, India will hand over new evidence related to the Mumbai attacks, sources said, adding that Islamabad was only trying to divert attention with its flip-flops on various issues. New Delhi also categorically stated that Pakistan will have to extradite Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar. According to sources, existing laws allow Masood Azhar's extradition to India without any legal problems. India further said that there were multiple centres of power in Pakistan, which were adding to the problem. Asserting that India has full faith on the US, sources said that Washington is pressurising Pakistan to act. According to The Times of India report, the Indian government is now training its guns on Jaish-e-Muhammad chief Maulana Masood Azhar and mounting big diplomatic pressure on Pakistan as well as asking the US to pressure Islamabad to deport Azhar to India. Sources said the government was looking at it as a key "deliverable" by Pakistan that could go some distance to appease Indian outrage. According to the Paper, the JM chief was not connected with the Mumbai attacks and so there is a question as to why India should be pushing for his deportation rather than Hafiz Saeed or Dawood Ibrahim. The Times said, the Indian government has its sights set firmly on domestic elections and if Pakistan can be persuaded to give up Masood Azhar, it would be a huge score against the BJP, since it was the BJP that gave him up to Pakistan in 1999.

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