Istanbul: Pranab Mukherjee asks Pak to dismantle terror infrastructure

Istanbul: Coming down heavily on Pakistan, President Pranab Mukherjee has said unless it dismantles the terror infrastructure on its soil, there is no scope for progress in talks between the two countries.

"We demand of Pakistan that the infrastructures created by the terrorist outfits in your territories, dismantle them, keep your commitments to India, don't allow terrorists to use your land to perpetrate their nefarious activities on India," stressed Pranab Mukherjee.

"Unless that atmosphere is created, how could you talk about other developments? Therefore, we do hope that what Nawaz Sharif stated, he will try to implement that," Mukherjee said in an interview to Turkish newspaper 'Today's Zaman'.

The President exhorted that a "serious effort" should be made by Pakistan on this subject as he said most terrorist activities against India are emanating from "territories under the control of Pakistan."

"Let the appropriate atmosphere be created. The actual line of control on which the ceasefire exists, it has been violated," said Mukherjee.

He also expressed happiness over the steps taken by the two countries to resolve their differences.

"And I am glad that both Prime Ministers have agreed to direct their officers, Director Generals of Military Operations to sit down and resolve this issue in the framework of the 1972 agreement, which is more popularly known as the Simla Agreement, between Mrs Indira Gandhi, then Prime Minister of India and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, then Prime Minister of Pakistan."

"That is the framework we can use to resolve all issues through dialogue. But for that peace is needed. Serious effort should be made by Pakistan. This is our appeal to assure that their territory is not being used to carry on terrorist activities against India," he said.

He said both the countries have a lot of mechanisms to talk to each other on issues related to terror and territorial integrity.

"So far as our relation with Pakistan is concerned, there are regular institutional arrangements. Also one point is to be kept in view, the commitment which was made by Pakistan, not now but in 2004, that Pakistani territory will not be allowed to be used by the forces inimical to India," said Mukherjee.