Situation in Pak to Have ‘Bearing’ on India: Pranab

With security situation in Pakistan deteriorating continually, India has expressed apprehensions of developments in the neighbouring country having a “bearing” in country.

Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, at the same time, seemed to draw Islamabad’s attention to the peril of militancy recoiling on it as he said that “no state should accept the policy of sponsoring terrorism or encouraging terrorism or indulging in terrorism”.

While responding to a query as to how he sees the situation in Pakistan which is shaken by terror strikes almost every day, “Pakistan is a close neighbour of India. Therefore, what happens in Pakistan has a bearing (on India).”

“If terrorism is bad to India, it is equally bad to Pakistan. If terrorism inflicts injuries to India, it inflicts injuries to Pakistan also,” he added.

India is watching the situation in Pakistan with concern ever since a spate of terrorist strikes began there, including one at the headquarters of powerful Army in Islamabad.

“When we talk of zero tolerance against terrorism, we mean zero tolerance of terrorism in every part of the world. We do not subscribe that one country will be victim of terrorism and another country will not be victim of terrorism,” Mukherjee said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, while addressing top commanders of three Defence services on Tuesday, appeared to reflect upon the situation in Pakistan as he said that the “situation in our neighbourhood has worsened”.