Pak fallout worries India

“The situation in Pakistan is very serious and terrorism is spreading,” Defence Minister A K Antony told journalists on the sidelines of the Territorial Army Day parade in the national capital. He also said that New Delhi was prepared to foil any bid by the Taliban to target India.

Antony’s remark came close on the heels of a series of six major terrorist strikes in Pakistan over the past fortnight, with the latest being a suicide bomb attack in Peshawar in the troubled North West Frontier Province last Friday that killed 14 people.

Pakistan-based Tehrik-e-Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Tehrik-e-Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud last week said if the organisation could establish an Islamic State in Pakistan, it would send its militants to the borders to help fight against India.

Asked to comment on Mehsud’s threat, Antony said: “We are always prepared to meet any challenge to our territorial integrity and national security from any quarter. Our security forces are keeping eternal vigilance.”

Earlier in the day, Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor said the armed forces would give “a befitting reply” to the Pakistan-based Taliban if the terrorist outfit tried to attack India.
 “We have no doubt that our security forces will give a befitting reply to Taliban whenever they try to carry out destructive activities in our country,” General Kapoor said after inaugurating an army hospital here.

Spillover effect

The Army chief indicated that New Delhi was not ruling out the possibility of Taliban launching attacks against India.

 “Whenever there is turbulence in any particular region, there is always some spillover effect in the neighbouring country. That is something we all need to guard against,” he said.

On the possibility of Pakistan based terror groups being involved in Sunday’s blast in Iran, the Defence Minister  said: “I cannot say anything off hand. But the thing is that terrorism is spreading. It is the real menace to the world. Terrorism is a reality. Fight against terrorism is a common challenge to all peace leaving nations and communities.”