Indian Ruling Party Calls Pakistan To Curb Militant Acts

Indian ruling party Wednesday urged Pakistan to take steps to curb activities by extremists of Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT), a Muslim group active in Kashmir and north India, which had threatened to attack Indian prime minister's office here.

Such threat by LeT would "upset the peace process" and New Delhi "would have to rethink its stand on the whole issue", said Jana Krishnamurthy, vice president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

New Delhi said LeT was responsible for the attack last Friday against Indian army barracks inside the ancient Red Ford complex here, during which three people, including a soldier, were killed.

LeT reportedly said Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's office would be its next target after its attack on Red Fort.

On the LeT's threat, Krishnamurthy said it was "more a challenge to Pakistan and if its intention is to have talks on all issues including Kashmir with India, then the prerequisite is to have peace, and it is a two-way affair though India has unilaterally declared ceasefire".

New Delhi has consistently accused Pakistan of arming militants and backing Islamic mercenaries in the disputed Himalayan region while Islamabad has denied the charge but said it provided political and diplomatic support to them in their fight for self- determination.






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