New Delhi, November 23
Expressing concern over the safety of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, Defence Minister AK Antony today said the threat of these weapons falling into the wrong hands was an "area of serious concern" and its consequences would be unimaginable.
There was barely any country not affected by terrorism and the recent incidents of terrorism in Pakistan and Afghanistan had "pushed South Asia into sub-conventional conflict and instability," the minister said while addressing a seminar on “Changing Nature of Conflict: Trends and Responses.”
He called for greater synergy among security agencies, both nationally and internationally, to tackle the threat from terrorism. He stressed on the need for conventional armed forces to maintain an edge over such non-conventional players.
The world had witnessed a paradigm shift in the nature of conflicts, he observed. “Though territory-related issues retain their primacy, other issues like historical differences, ideological biases, economic disparity, religious prejudices, energy security and water shortage are no less a contributing factor”, he observed.
“Modern-day conflicts are not merely confined to states, but have expanded to include sub-nationalities, terrorists and insurgences, religious fanatics and ethnic interest”, he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Army Chief Gen Deepak Kapoor said South Asia along with West Asia had emerged as an epicentre of conflict and instability.
He warned that the situation could worsen as there was neither political nor diplomatic unity on the issue.
