Giving evidence on ISI terrorist links not viable: Karnik

New Delhi, Nov 5 (UNI) Keeping the controversy alive, Intelligence Bureau Deputy Director Ashok Karnik says it is not a viable proposal to hand over evidence to Pakistan about ISI's involvement in July 11 Mumbai train blasts.

''It is not a viable proposal... It would be difficult to say what is credible and what is clinching evidence,'' Mr Karnik said yesterday.

He was speaking at a symposium on 'Terrorism-- its Causes and Ramifications', organised by the Press Institute of India and Indian Liberal Group.

The controversy was kicked up by National Security Adviser M K Narayanan last month when he remarked that India had good but not clinching evidence about Pakistani intelligence agency's involvement in the Mumbai train blasts.

A few days later, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, seeking to clear the confusion, said India had credible evidence.

The issue of terrorism is expected to figure at the Foreign Secretary level talks here on November 14-15 to review the progress of the Indo-Pak peace process, including the setting up of a joint institutional mechanism to deal with terrorism as agreed to in Havana in September when Dr Singh and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf met during the NAM Summit.

On the joint institutional mechanism, Mr Karnik said it would be able to put a stop to cross-border terrorism, but the possibility of local elements indulging in terrorist activities would remain.

He suggested that Parliament should pass a legislation that would prevent the government from negotiating with terrorists.

''When the terrorists know that the government cannot negotiate with them, then ransom demands also won't come,'' he explained.

Former Delhi Police Commissioner and Congress MP from Bihar Nihkil Kumar said Left-wing terrorism was a greater threat than cross-border terrorism that India had been facing for the past 20 years.

''We are in the shadow of Maoists of Nepal,'' he said and suggested that steps taken in Andhra Pradesh to deal with naxalism should be emulated in other naxal-affected states such as Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

He said these state governments should take up development programmes as a mission, and give greater attention on public distribution system to defeat naxalism.

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