Advani to scrap joint anti-terrorism mechanism with Pakistan

On board aircraft to Madhya Pradesh, Apr.22 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party's Prime Ministerial candidate, L.K. Advani, on Wednesday declared that if the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was elected to power at the end of this year's general elections, one of his first tasks would be to scrap the joint-anti-terrorism mechanism that exists between India and Pakistan.Speaking exclusively to ANI onboard his campaign plane, Advani said: "Unless Pakistan dismantle the terror infrastructure on its soil, there would be no talks or dialogue with them."

Advani made it clear that the joint anti-terrorism mechanism served no purpose and had failed in the absence of Pakistan taking concrete steps to actively control the spread of terrorism from its soil.

The joint statement by India and Pakistan to create a joint anti-terrorism mechanism was inked on the sidelines of the NAM Summit in Havana in September 2006.

Advani has called for its scrapping since then. By Naveen Kapoor (ANI)