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India dismisses Pak charge on terrorist camps

New Delhi, August 19
India today dismissed as ‘absurd’ Pakistan’s charge that it was running more than 55 militant training camps to carry out subversive activities against Pakistan, and asked Islamabad to ‘think, act and speak responsibly’.

‘‘This is one more figment of Pakistan’s imagination. One would have chosen not to comment on this absurd allegation, but for the mindset that it reveals,’’ External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna told reporters.

‘‘It is a mindset that thinks of stopping at nothing to make a propaganda point,’’ he said.

Mr Sarna said, ‘‘The more Pakistan makes such wild allegations, the less will we and the international community believe that it is serious in dealing with its responsibility to end cross-border terrorism against India’’.

New Delhi’s retort came in the wake of stepped-up anti-India tirade by Pakistan in recent days. Islamabad claimed that India was preparing for military action in the Dras-Kargil sectors, a charge denied as ‘baseless’ by the Defence Ministry.

Mr Sarna said, ‘‘We would again wish to underline that Pakistan should think, act and speak responsibly to make full use of the opportunity offered by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s initiative to improve relations between India and Pakistan, an objective to which Pakistan’s Government should show as much commitment as its people seem to have begun to show.

External Affairs Ministry sources said in the wake of American pressure, Pakistan had handed over 500 Al-Qaeda militants to the USA. ‘‘Pakistan has not handed over even one (terrorist and criminal taking shelter in that country) to us,’’ they said, while referring to the list of 20 wanted persons which was given to Pakistan by India.

New Delhi felt that the US should have exerted ‘more pressure’ on Pakistan in addressing India’s concerns on cross-border terrorism as it had done on the issue of clamping down on the Taliban.

India had also made it clear that while it was not closing its door to anything, there had to be ‘credible movement’ on Pakistan’s part to end its support to terrorism. Unless this was done, ‘‘it is not possible to think of political dialogue at government level,’’ the sources said.

They said, ‘‘We will move forward progressively and take the steps that are necessary. It is not that the door is shut to anything. But it will come progressively taking into account what we see regarding greater clarity in terms of Pakistan’s determination to deal with the issue of cross-border terrorism’’.

Emphasising that ‘‘Pakistan has to act on the issue of terrorism’’, they said Islamabad ‘‘wants to pretend that this issue is not required to be addressed’’. — PTI