Antony wants international pressure on Pakistan to dismantle militant camps

NEW DELHI - Defence Minister A.K. Antony said on Thursday that the international community needed to put pressure on Pakistan to dismantle the militant camps flourishing in its territory.

Antony was reacting to reports that former Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf had admitted that Pakistan had formed underground camps to train militants to fight India in Kashmir.

“This he told in 2009 also. This is what we are telling everybody; even the former President himself admitted that they have trained the terrorists. So, that is what we are telling, international community should take a serious note about it and persuade and compel Pakistan to dismantle all the terrorist outfits there,” said Antony.

“There are approximately 42 terrorist outfits. All of them, should be dismantled and destroyed. That is our consistent request to everybody and we are repeatedly telling Pakistan and we are repeatedly reminding international communities also,” he added.

Speaking to the media persons after his meeting with the visiting Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov in New Delhi, Antony said that India and Russia would soon sign a contract to jointly manufacture fifth generation fighter aircraft over 10 years.

“Between India and Russia all issues are resolved. So MTA and fifth generation aircraft, these two projects are going to be the major flagship programmes for the next 10 years between our two countries. Everything is finalised,” said Antony.

India is expected to receive around 250-300 fifth-generation fighter aircraft.

Fifth-generation aircraft are invisible to radar, have advanced flight and weapons control systems and can cruise at supersonic speeds.

The Russian plane, first test-flown by Sukhoi in January, is Moscow’s answer to the U.S.-built F-22 Raptor stealth fighter — the world’s only fifth-generation fighter yet in service-which first flew in 1997.

Antony said they had also discussed their common interest in Afghanistan and raised concerns over the possibility of the country turning into a haven for the militants.

“Both of us feel that Afghanistan should not become a safe haven for the terrorists. So, to bring peace and stability in Afghanistan is in the interest for both the countries. In Afghanistan, both India and Russia have common interests,” said Antony.

India has full diplomatic relations with Afghanistan, and invested hundreds of millions of dollars in aid for Afghanistan’s various projects. (ANI)