New Delhi, July 09: Slamming Pakistan for the expanding terrorist footprints on its soil, India on Thursday said it had clear evidence that the Mumbai attack was planned and launched by the western neighbour, and this had strained the peace process.
The Defence Ministry, in its annual report for 2008-09 released here today, said: “The terrorist attack on Mumbai in November 2008 and the clear evidence that the attack was planned and launched by Pakistan have thereafter led to a pause in the (peace) process” between New Delhi and Islamabad.
The 220-page report said the fact that many of the extremist outfits in Pakistan had known record of terrorist attacks against India amounted to a security challenge with serious implications for the country.
“The continuing links of these organisations (terrorists) with organs of the Pakistan State adds greater complexities and dangers to the evolving situation confronting us,” it said.
“Strengthening of our security apparatus, both internally and on our frontiers is, therefore, a national priority of the highest order. Pakistan’s history of military and quasi military adventurism under score the seriousness of the threat we face,” the Defence Ministry added.
It also noted that the year had witnessed a marked rise in terrorist incidents all over Pakistan including capital Islamabad, apart from the previously affected areas of FATA and NWFP.
–Agencies–