New Delhi: Describing the resurgence of
Taliban and al Qaeda as a "real challenge", India on Wednesday asked
the international community to put "effective pressure" on
Pakistan to implement its commitment to deal with terror
groups in its territory, failing which the region could be
catapulted into spiral of violence.
"Terrorism remains an essential challenge to the regional
security.....There is a real challenge posed by the resurgence
of Taliban and al Qaeda. There is a need for the international
community to re-commit its assistance to Afghanistan.....
"There is a growing consensus that the increase in terror
activities in Afghanistan is linked to the support available
in the contiguous areas," Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said
while delivering a keynote address at a conference on South
Asia-2020.
Emphasising the need for the international community to
"put effective pressure on Pakistan to implement its stated
commitment to deal with terror groups within its territory or
else the past eight years in Afghanistan will be wiped-out,"
she said "failure to act effectively runs the risk of
catapulting the region into spiral of violence".
She also rubbished Pakistan's claim of seizing India-made
arms from the Taliban stronghold of South Waziristan, saying
there was no "factual basis" for these reports.
Bureau Report
First Published: Wednesday, November 04, 2009, 13:01