Refuting charges of India fuelling terrorism in Pakistan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday said the government and people of Pakistan must realise the great harm done to South Asia by “patronisation of terror groups”.

Speaking to reporters here on the concluding day of campaigning for the Assembly polls, Singh said, “We need a neighbourhood of peace (and) friendliness. In Pakistan and Afghanistan, the situation is not what it should be. The rising role of terrorist groups is a matter of concern to all of us,” he said, adding that India had to make adequate preparations to deal with the consequences of this “overflow” of terrorism from neighbouring countries.

Rubbishing charges made by Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Malik about India fomenting terrorism in Pakistan, the PM said, “This is absolutely wrong.”

He added that India was not fuelling terrorism in Pakistan or any other country, and stressed that the people and government of Pakistan knew that their accusations were false.