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Government to table white paper on ISI activities in winter session of Parliament

Union Home Minister L K Advani today said a white paper on the activities of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence in India will be tabled in Parliament during its forthcoming winter session commencing on November 30.

Talking to reporters in Ahmedabad, Advani said the advisory committee of members of Parliament, attached to his ministry, had recently discussed the issue as the members demanded a white paper on the continuing ISI activities in India.

Advani said the white paper on the ISI's activities in India was being prepared and will be tabled in Parliament during the coming session.

Stating that the overall situation on the internal security front had improved during the seven months of the Vajpayee government, the minister said the ISI activities had, however, continued unabated. This year, the Centre had identified and demolished several centres and agents of ISI for conducting its activities.

Advani said after its defeat in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war, the neighbouring country had realised that it could not win any direct war against India. Hence, Pakistan conceptualised its plan which began to be implemented after 1980s in the form of a proxy war to create instability in India and, if possible, make an attempt to grab Kashmir, he added.

However, the home minister declared, the Vajpayee government had firmly resolved to frustrate this plan.

Advani pointed out that he had already toured most of the border areas of the country, barring the one with Bangladesh, to take stock of the situation.

Replying to a question, Advani expressed confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party would emerge victorious in the coming assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi.

When asked about the BJP's election-eve promise of rechristening Ahmedabad as Karnavati, he said the issue was not on the national agenda of the coalition government at the Centre.

UNI

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