Indian PM Manmohan Singh repeats terror demand

Shillong: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday asked Pakistan to hand over the suspects of the Mumbai terror attacks so that they can be tried in India, even as he stressed that war is not a solution.

"War is no solution to solve the problems and we want better sense to prevail on Pakistan by handing over those perpetrators and criminals so that they can be tried in India," the prime minister told reporters here after inaugurating the 96th Indian Science Congress.

"Pakistan should recognise the need for more cooperation and hence should hand over the perpetrators [of the Mumbai terror attacks] so that they can be tried in India and brought to book," the prime minister said.

Singh said the biggest challenge before India was the "menace of terrorism and the global economic slowdown".

"The growing menace of terrorism and Maoism and the global economic slowdown are the twin challenges facing India today and we are committed to rooting out terrorism and Left-wing Naxalism very firmly," the prime minister said.

Admitting that Bangladesh is another emerging terror front, the prime minister said Indian militants from the northeastern states continue to operate out of bases in the adjoining country.

"Successive governments in Bangladesh did not cooperate with us to evict Indian militant bases from that country, but I hope the new prime minister-elect Shaikh Hasina would take appropriate measures not to allow their territory to be used by militants," he said.

"The porous border that India shares with Bangladesh is a matter of concern for us as infiltration and cross-border terrorism does take place. We need to accelerate the fencing work and we shall discuss this issue in next week's meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security," the prime minister said.