Antony says infiltration up but talks won’t be affected

“Even though we are not fully satisfied with the actions taken by Pakistan against terrorist outfits,we find that they have taken some actions as per our wish. It is a positive development so we thought it is better to start dialogue,” the minister said,interacting with mediapersons after delivering the keynote address at the Asian Security Conference at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) here.

Referring to the growing instability in Afghanistan,Antony said India’s decision to resume talks should be seen in the backdrop of regional security where Indo-Pak talks could have a stabilising affect. “Indo-Pak relations always have a huge bearing on regional peace and security. Our government’s willingness to resume negotiations with Pakistan must be seen in this backdrop,” he said.

However,Antony slammed Pakistan for refusing to dismantle terror outfits operating from its soil.

He said this year there has been a spurt in infiltration attempts from across the border to create ‘chaos and attempt terrorist activities in India’. “One thing is very clear that almost all of the 42 terrorist outfits operating from across the border are intact. There is no attempt on the part of the Government of Pakistan to dismantle these terrorist outfits,” Antony said.