Terrorists in Pak planning fresh attacks, says PM

Maintaining that cross-border terrorism remains the most pervasive threat, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said there was credible information of ongoing plans of terrorist groups in Pakistan to carry out fresh attacks in India.

Addressing a conference of the chief ministers on internal security, the prime minister said the area of operations of these terrorists today extended far beyond the confines of Jammu and Kashmir and covered all parts of the country.

Noting some “disturbing trends” in Jammu and Kashmir, he said that the levels of infiltration, which had come down very substantially, have seen a surge this year alongside an increase of infiltration attempts.

Singh said after the Mumbai attack, a number of additional measures have put in place but “there is need for continued vigilance”.

Home Minister P Chidambaram, who in his opening statement had said that absence of terror attack in the last eight months did not mean that the threat has vanished or receded, told reporters at the end of the conference that there were terrorist groups plotting attack against India but there was no specific threat of an imminent attack.

Meanwhile, Pakistan today said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s remarks about terror groups planning fresh attacks on India from Pakistani soil were uncalled for as the two countries were progressing towards better relations.

“I think (Singh’s) statement was uncalled for and it would have been better if he had not made such a statement because Pakistan and India are moving towards better relations, especially after the meetings (between the Indian premier and President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani),” Minister of State for Information Sumsam Ali Bukhari said.