Pak sponsored cross-border terrorism biggest challenge to external security: MoS Home Affairs

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, G Kishan Reddy on Tuesday said that Pakistan sponsored cross-border terrorism is the biggest external security challenge for the country.

"The biggest challenge before the government was to ensure a peaceful environment in the country so that the fruits of development reach everyone. Our internal and external adversaries are keenly watching the remarkable development of India and want to disrupt the journey of this development, and urged the officers present to be mindful of this fact. Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism and jihadi terrorism the biggest external security challenge for the country," Reddy said in a press statement.

The minister made these remarks while addressing Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chiefs of all states and Union Territories in a two day National Conference of Chiefs of ATS and Special Task Force (STFs) organised by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Giving the example of Jammu and Kashmir, Reddy said that the state of Jammu and Kashmir, despite being in India, was acting as a separate sovereign state due to disruptive and separatist activities.

He added that the Government of India has merged the state of Jammu and Kashmir with India by removing Article 370.

Reddy also flagged the increasing use of cyberspace by terrorist organisations as an emerging global challenge and noted the role played by NIA in containing this new threat.

Reddy while congratulating NIA for successfully solving 90 per cent cases, said, "NIA has registered 286 serious terrorism cases during its tenure of 10 years since its inception. Out of these, professional investigation of 210 cases has been successfully submitted in the NIA Special Courts."

He also noted that the success achieved by NIA in such a short time and the work it has done in the field of counter-terrorism has emerged as a veritable signature.