Focus on Taliban instead of rivalry with India: Pak jurist

Toronto, Apr 25 (PTI) Expressing concern over Islamabad
government's "failure" in curbing terrorism, a prominent
Pakistani jurist has said that the country should focus on
"Taliban instead of rivalry with India".

Pakistan has failed to curb terrorism and the government
is incapable to deal with the looming threat posed by Taliban
and other extremists, senior Supreme Court lawyer Abid Hassan
Minto said.

"Pakistan's leaders should focus on Taliban and internal
extremists instead of their rivalry with India," Minto said
while addressing an international conference on 'Securing
South Asia for the People of South Asia' at the University of
Toronto here.

Minto said that the Pakistani military and political
leaders should fight internal extremists "rather than strictly
focus on the conventional threat that has been traditionally
from India."

Expressing his concern over recent upsurge by the Taliban
forces within 100 kms of Islamabad, Minto said that even the
Supreme Court of Pakistan writ did not run in Swat valley as
no official was ready to go there.

Out of 23 TV channels in Pakistan, nine of them are run
by Muslim fundamentalist groups who tutor people against India
and misguide people about true values of Islam, Minto added.

The Conference would discuss how South Asian People could
work together and save the region from looming war and bring
peace and security in the region, Sara Abraham, organizing
secretary of the conference said.

Over 100 delegates from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh,
Nepal, and Sri Lanka are attending the three-day conference
organised by South Asian Peoples Forum, the Ghadar Heritage
Foundation, and the Association of Indian Progressive Study
Groups. PTI