By NNN-PTI,
Berhampore, India : India on Saturday said Pakistan was trying to whip up “war hysteria” and asked Islamabad and leaders there not to create tension and deflect the issue of the Mumbai terrorist attacks.
“A lot of issues are being raised in relation to the Mumbai terror attacks. It is unfortunate that an atmosphere has been created in Pakistan, some sort of war hysteria,” External Affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee said while addressing an international seminar of Parsi teachers here.
“I appeal to Pakistan and Pakistani leaders, do not unnecessarily try to create tension. Do not try to deflect the issue. A problem has to be tackled face to face. Evading a problem will not help to get rid of it,” he said.
“The issue is not the defence of Pakistan, the issue is not war, the issue is the terrorist attack on Mumbai, the unprecedented scale, magnitude, ferocity as well as audacity all clearly demonstrated that it was not only preplanned, but also well planned,” he said.
“The issue is how to prevent terrorism. The issue is how to direct the international community to face the terrorist challenge and eliminate terrorism from the face of the world,” he said.
The fight against terrorism, he said, was not directed at any country, nation or religion. “The issue is how to prevent terrorism and against the mentality which gives birth to terrorism, and against the set-up that aids terror.” Mukherjee said that terrorism has no religion and no respect for borders.
“Terrorism is not linked to a particular religion or community. I totally reject such an idea. Islam propagates love and affection.”