Peace with Pakistan cannot be a one-way traffic: Antony

New Delhi, June 25 (PTI) Making it clear that peace
with Pakistan cannot be a "one-way traffic", India's Defence
Minister A K Antony Thursday said strong action against
anti-India terrorist groups operating from its territory is a
"pre-condition" for this process.

The minister also cautioned that the problems
confronting Pakistan, a nation facing "turmoil from within",
could easily spill over.

"We must be vigilant about the happenings on our
western border, while at the same time, try to make peace with
out neighbour", he said while addressing the Unified
Commanders' Conference here.

Antony said there were forces at work that did not
wish well for India. "It is imperative for our armed forces to
be prepared to face any challenge to our security that could
in turn affect our groing economic prosperity," he said.

"Peace with Pakistan cannot be a one-way traffic.
Surely a pre-condition for peace lies in Pakistan taking
strong action against anti-India terrorist groups operating
from its territory," he said.

Antony noted that these very groups were earlier
treated as assets by the Pakistan establishment.

"We should not forget that the groups against whom
Pakistan is taking action today, were earlier seen as assets
by its establishment. Anti-India forces operating from
Pakistan have been trying to destabilise us, as was evidenced
by the dastardly attack in Mumbai last November," he said.

The Defence Minister expressed concern over Pakistan
inducting highly-sophisticated defence equipment, "many of
which are really not meant to develop its capacity to fight
terror."

Besides Chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Force, 22
Commanders participated in the conference which discussed
steps required to further strengthen the tri-services'
approach to security-related issues.

Referring to cross-border infiltration into Jammu and
Kashmir, Antony said while it had declined in recent years,
Pakistan was unable to check terrorist attacks originating
from its soil.

In 2008, acts of terrorism were carried out in Jaipur,
Ahmedabad, Surat, Bangalore and Delhi. The attack on Mumbai
was the most audacious of terror attacks in the Indian
hinterland, he added.

About his proposed meeting with US National Security
Advisor (NSA) James Jones Friday, Antony later told reporters
that the security situation in the region, especially
Afghanistan, was likely to figure among other issues in the
discussions.

"We are going to discuss the security scenario around
us. While discussing this, we cannot avoid Afghanistan.
Taliban is a threat to world peace and threat to our region
and a threat to India also," he said.

On India's relations with China, Antony said there
were "complex unresolved issues" between the two countries.
"India believes that these should be resolved through peaceful
means," he said.

The minister sought to dispel the notion of the two
countries looking at one another as rivals.

"There is enough space for both India and China to
grow into influential nations in the evolving international
order," he said.

On the situation in Sri Lanka, he said that for
lasting peace within, Colombo needed to backup its military
gains against the LTTE with a political devolution package
that satisfies the aspiration of Tamils within a united Sri
Lanka.

Referring to Bangladesh, Antony said the election of
the present government in Dhaka was a cause for optimism for
New Delhi.

On Nepal, the Defence Minister said the democratic
forces in the country needed to work together to frame a new
Constitution that would underline the country’s emergence as a
modern, prosperous and powerful nation.

Underlining the importance of the Indian Ocean region,
he said with a rapidly growing economy, the dependence on the
Ocean was increasing by the day.

"It is imperative for our Armed Forces to ensure that
the sea lanes are not dominated by any one power to the
exclusion of others, he said adding that the sea lanes for the
country could easily become security threats.

Last year, piracy emerged as a major challenge for
sea-borne traffic, off the coast of Somalia. Sea routes can be
used to transport weapons of mass destruction and arms and
ammunition by terrorists. Water-ways are used by terrorists to
reach the hinterland, as was done by the perpetrators of the
Mumbai terror attack, he said.

On the progress made on the issue of a Unified Command
for the armed forces, the Defence Minister said that after
initial resistance, the three services have realised the need
to work together.

"There has been considerable progress in the last
eight years. Initially there was resistance from three
services but now they have realised the necessity of jointness
because in the modern times just one service cannot protect
the security of the nation and meet challenges," he said.

"That realisation is there. So, things are moving very
fast and this conference is a turning point," he said.

When asked if the controversy on the issue of price of
Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov could have any
negative impact on Indo-Russian defence relations, the
Minister said, "Discussions are going on for Admiral Gorshkov.
As far as our defence relations with Russia are concerned,
they are very cordial. There is no doubt about that."

The two-day conference is also being attended by
Defence Secretary Vijay Singh, Secretary Defence Production
Pradip Kumar and Scientific Adviser to Defence Minister M
Natarajan. PTI AJD
PMR