Author:
Publication: Rediff on Net
Date: November 27, 2002
URL: http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/nov/27sinha.htm
The Pakistani high commission in
Dhaka has become the 'nerve centre' of Inter-Services Intelligence activities
in promoting terrorism in India, External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha
said on Wednesday.
"Some Al Qaeda elements have taken
shelter in Bangladesh... the foreign media has reported several such instances
and our own sources have confirmed many of these reports," he told the
Lok Sabha.
A large number of madrassas have
sprung up along the Indo-Bangla border, he said adding major insurgent
groups have established training camps in different parts of Bangladesh.
He said the Indian high commissioner
in Dhaka has conveyed India's "strong concern over shelter being obtained
on Bangladesh territory by people acting inimical to India's interests".
"The Bangladesh foreign minister
intimated that instructions have been issued not to allow presence of Indian
insurgents or their free movement across the border," he said.
India has succeeded in convincing
the international community of the activities of Pakistan, he told Shyama
Singh (Congress), who raised the issue.
Despite promises from President
Pervez Musharraf, "there is no evidence of any firm attempts being made
to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan", Sinha said.
He said Islamabad has established
"an elaborate infrastructure for recruitment, indoctrination and training
of terrorists on its territories and territories under its control". This
includes launching stations, communication centres and training camps.
Replying to a question by Trinamool
Congress leader Mamata Banerjee about counterfeit currency in parts of
Bengal and the Northeast, the minister said these are the "favourite instruments"
of terrorists.
The Reserve Bank of India and other
concerned agencies are aware of the problem and are taking steps to check
these activities, Sinha added.
