New Delhi, December 5
Pakistan has not responded positively to India’s persistent demand for bringing an end to infiltration and the dismantling of the terrorist infrastructure, said the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, here today.

“On our demand that infiltration be stopped and the terrorist infrastructure be dismantled there has been practically no response from the other side,” Mr Advani said while inaugurating the International Security, Safety and Fire Exhibition here.

He said Pakistan’s response has been a kind of “tactical move to ward off pressures from the international community”.

“The world woke up to the horrors of terrorism only after September 11, but we have been battling it for the past two decades,” Mr Advani said, adding, “It seems that the international community needed something like the World Trade Center attacks to realise the need for combating terrorism.”

“India has been successful in creating a worldwide awareness on the menace of terrorism and today the international community is prepared to counter any threat,” he said.

The Kandahar hijacking, the Red Fort shootout, or the attacks on Parliament, Kashmir Assembly and Akshardham temple — terrorists had been attacking us with rhythmic regularity, Mr Advani said.

“In the post-September 11 period, the US airports are much safer, but during my visit to Israel in 1996, I found that the security at the airports there was stricter than many other countries,” the Deputy Prime Minister recalled.

Hailing the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) for countering the security threats effectively, Mr Advani said the force had expanded its activities manifold, which included maintaining security at airports and private establishments.