Without naming Pak, Akbar says it is creating conflict zones through terrorism

Using the platform of the Indo-China Think Tanks Forum to highlight Pakistan's role in terrorism, Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar pointed said on Friday that Islamabad can be held responsible for developing major conflict zones in South Asia.

"The principle weapon in the conflict process through which ideologues move towards their objectives, is the weapon of terrorism," Akbar said.

Highlighting the dangers of terrorism, including contributing to the deaths of innocents, Akbar said, "The dangers of terrorism are not simply the obvious ones, the death of innocents, mass killings, but the most pernicious danger of terrorism lies in its use of fear in order to divide people."

Without naming Pakistan, but indicating towards it geographically, Akbar said, "To the West of us, you can see an extraordinary instability and a major conflict zone developing."

He further said that ideologues in such zones have made religion as foundation of establishing a political state.

"Most of this conflict is engineered by ideologues who have based religion at the centre of their politics," he said.

"These ideologues are not only challenging the stability of these regions, but they are doing something which we hope our friends begin to understand and realize. We have realised it because our experience has been very bitter," he added.

He urged think tanks to play a critical role in finding solutions to this growing problem.