Growing terrorism in Pak, Afghan threat to India's prosperity: PM

Expressing concern at rising terrorism in Pakistan and Afghanistan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today gave a clarion call to the international community to continue to focus on wiping out terrorism and finding a sustainable solution to the grave threat which emanates from it.

Dr Singh, after delivering a speech at the opening session of the India Economic Summit here, made this remark in reply to one of the three questions posed to him by Mr Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum.

Dr Singh said peace, progress and prosperity in Pakistan as well as other South Asian nations were of critical importance to India.

''We need a neighbourhood where peace, progress and stability are ensured. We are worried at the rising terrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan,'' he said. He pinned hopes on the international community to address itself to the problems of terrorism, which are a threat to mankind itself. The Prime Minister said the world may have discovered terrorism since the 9/11 incident, but India has lived with it for much longer period.

''We are a victim of terrorism for the last 25 years,'' he said.

Dr Singh said peace was necessary for India's growth and in his address laid out the agenda of the government as to how the country will move back to nine per cent growth in the years to come.

The India Economic Summit, a joint endeavour of the Confederation of Indian Industry and Geneva-based World Economic Forum, saw an unprecedented 600 participants engaged in the event, many of whom are from overseas.

It is after several years that the Prime Minister was addressing the Summit, which for some reason had seen a dwindling interest in the affair, but it appeared that the global and domestic corporate community was back in force to deliberate on issues of Indian and global interests.

-- (UNI) -- 08DI12.xml

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