JOIN USTerror camps still exist in Pak: Krishna
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rahman Malik, who was attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit here, said the trust deficit with Pakistan had reduced following the several rounds of talks between ministers and top officials of the two countries.
“I think it will have to be assessed. The question still remains very much unanswered that there are training camps still in Pakistan,” Krishna told reporters accompanying him on visit to Kazakhstan.
He was asked to react to Malik’s claims. “We have repeatedly brought it to the notice of the Government of Pakistan that these terror training outfits will have to be abandoned and I do not know of the initiatives that the government has taken to dismantle these terror motivating outfits,” Krishna said.
Asked whether five rounds of talks with Pakistan since April last year have made any progress, the minister was cautious and said “the foreign secretaries of the two countries are meeting very soon and we will make our assessment on how it goes.”
Larger role
Meanwhile, India has sought a “larger and deeper” role in the SCO saying it would like to bring to the table its technical expertise, markets and financial commitment.
“Ten years since its founding, the SCO faces a historic moment. Like other successful multilateral organisations, it must choose the path of its evolution,” Krishna said at the 11th Summit of the SCO here in the capital of Kazakhstan.
He said the draft of the Memorandum of Obligation being discussed by this Summit would pave the way for expansion of the organisation in a natural process of its evolution.
“India would be happy to play a larger and deeper role in the SCO when the rules and criteria for full membership are clear. We value the role of the SCO in bringing security, stability and development to our region and stand ready to contribute more to the SCO for the common good of the people of our region.
“We have friendly ties with all the member states and we wish to bring to the table our technical expertise, markets and financial commitment, all of which equip us to fulfil greater responsibilities in this forum,” Krishna said.