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Fernandes fears more Pak firing on LoC during NAM meet

Defence Minister George Fernandes on Tuesday said the situation on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir was under control, but an alert was being maintained as it was apprehended that Pakistan would step up firing at the borders while the NAM meeting was underway in Durban this month-end.

While returning to Delhi from Ambala, where he inaugurated the army's first Industrial Training Institute, the minister said past trends had shown that Pakistan increased firing at Indian positions on the border whenever there was an international summit or talks was on.

He said a vigil was being kept at the borders and India was fully prepared to face any situation.

Fernandes said India was concerned about the increasing dominance of the Taliban in Afghanistan. All countries in the region should also be worried by these developments, he added.

In the context of the Pakistani media playing up the firing on the borders, the minister said unfortunately in India, there seemed to be no focus on national security and it did not get the due place it deserved.

The army, on its part, was doing its best to educate the people about what was happening at the borders and the recently held exhibition where arms seized from militants was displayed was one such exercise to create awareness among the public, he added.

In Ambala, the defence minister inaugurated the first ITI for JCOs and jawans which was intended to prepare them for employment after retirement. He said the Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal governments had also assured financial support to set up army ITIs in Visakhapatnam and Silchar respectively.

UNI

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