By Arun Kumar
Washington, Nov 24 (IANS) Warning of “phenomenal consequences” if the advance of terrorists in Pakistan was not controlled, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has asked the world community to pressurise Islamabad to do much more to bring to book those responsible for the “horrible” 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

“We don’t want Pakistan to fail and emergence of democracy in Pakistan is something we welcome,” he said at the Council on Foreign Relations, a leading US think tank Monday. “But at the same time we have to recognise that there are forces at work in Pakistan that are with terrorists.”

“At least until now they were active only in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Now I think they hold direct on grip in several parts of mainland Pakistan.

“If that process is not controlled, it has I think phenomenal consequences for the security and stability of Pakistan as well as our own security,” he added.

Asked if he regretted not taking the military option in retaliation against the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, the prime minister said he resisted enormous pressure at that time “and I think the decision that I took was balanced and right decision”.

“As regards future, I hate to speculate and sincerely hope that that sort of eventuality does not arise,” Manmohan Singh said. “And that’s why I believe world community has an obligation to impress upon Pakistan that it must use all its influence to curb the power of terrorist groups.”

The prime minister said Pakistan had done something to control the activities of Taliban terrorist groups in FATA, but “it has not acted as it should have acted in bringing the terrorists elements who are using their territory to target our country”.

Nor has Pakistan used all its machinery to bring to book all those murderers and those who perpetrated the horrible crime in Mumbai, he said, urging the world community to pressurise Pakistan to bring to book all those who are responsible for it.

There was now impeccable evidence that the conspiracy was planned in Pakistan with the active connivance of people still roaming about freely in Pakistan, he said. “Therefore I respectfully respect the world community to use all its influence on powers that be in Pakistan to desist from this sort of behaviour.”

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)