'Pak has failed to check cross-border terror'

New Delhi, May 30: India today virtually lodged a strong complaint against Pakistan with a grouping of Asia and Europe (ASEM) for Islamabad's failure to dismantle terrorist infrastructure and check cross-border terrorism.

''Despite repeated assurances, the infiltration of terrorists from across India's borders continues. The infrastructure to support terrorist organisations and activities has also not been fully dismantled,'' External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in his address at the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Hamburg.

Without mentioning Pakistan, he said ending cross-border terrorism remained for India a principal goal and challenge.

The Minister said India had lived with cross-border terrorism for over two decades. Recent terrorist acts, like the blast a few days ago in a mosque in Hyderabad and bomb explosions last February in two compartments of the Samjhauta Express between India and Pakistan, only reflected the ''painful reality that terrorism continues to pose a grave threat to India's security and communal harmony.'' ''We are, however, determined to take all feasible steps to defeat terrorists in attaining their goals of spreading terror and creating a communal divide.'' Affirming India's commitment to combating terror in close cooperation with NAM, SAARC, ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), EU and BIMSTEC, Mr Mukherjee called for expeditious finalisation of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism, submitted to the UN by New Delhi over a decade ago in 1996.

''It is unfortunate that inspite of the commitment of member states, as reflected in the 2005 World Summit Outcome, to conclude negotiations on this Convention, some contentious issues still remain unresolved,'' he said.

Terrorist acts anywhere, whether in Mumbai and Hyderabad or in Bali and London, endangered the peace and security of all States.

The possibility that terrorists might acquire and use weapons of mass destruction had added an alarming new dimension to this threat, the Minister said.

The international community had long recognized that terrorism required a comprehensive and multi-pronged global response.

''At the outset, all of us must continue to strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, committed by whomever, wherever and for whatever purposes. We must make it absolutely clear that no cause or grievance can ever justify acts of terrorism.'' Apart from security and law-enforcement measures to prevent terrorist acts, all countries must also take steps to deny funds to terrorists and dismantle their financing channels.

''India regards combating the financing of terrorism a crucial element of its counter-terrorism strategy,'' he said and pointed out that New Delhi was an observer at the Financial Action Task Force and was working towards joining it as a member.

Also, the Financial Intelligence Unit of India was an observer at the EGMONT Group and was working towards joining it as a member.

''We are also a member of the Asia-Pacific Group on Money Laundering.'' Mr Mukherjee said terrorists had falsely propagated their narrative that global counter-terrorism efforts were directed against a particular religion or community.

''We must repudiate this narrative by strongly rejecting any attempt to associate terrorism with any religion, race, nationality or ethnic group,'' he said.

UNI

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