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Tara Shankar Sahay & Onkar Singhin New Delhi
Minister of State for External Affairs Omar Abdullah on Tuesday warned Pakistan that India is fast running out of patience, but ruled out any hot-pursuit of Pak-trained militants in Kashmir for now.
Addressing a press conference in the wake of Monday's terrorist attack on the Jammu and Kashmir state assembly building in Srinagar, he pointed out that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had written to US President George W Bush about Pakistan's continuing involvement in terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
Referring to the attack, Abdullah said: "A terrorist organisation, Jaish-e-Muhammad, has claimed responsibility and has even named one of the terrorists involved in the attack, Wajahat Hussain, a resident of Peshawar in Pakistan."
Jaish-e-Mohammad is headed by Maulana Masood Azhar, one of the three terrorists who were released by the government in exchange of 167 passengers of the hijacked Indian Airlines flight IC 814 in December 1999.
The minister said Monday's attack has proved that "notwithstanding the cosmetic steps Pakistan may take against a few organisations under international pressure, it continues to be the country that aids, abets and sponsors terrorism and terrorist networks."
Asked whether India expected the US-led international coalition against terrorism to address the situation in J&K in the first phase of offensive, of which terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden and Afghanistan are the primary targets, Abdullah answered in the affirmative.
He pointed out that the situation had changed in the past two years and the international community is much more focused on global terrorism now.
Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani will visit Srinagar on Wednesday to take stock of the law and order situation in the Valley.
ALSO SEE: Abdullah blames Pak for assembly attack US, Pakistan condemn Kashmir blast Bush acknowledges India's concerns on terrorism
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