December 31, 2001	Monday	Shawwal 15, 1422

NEW DELHI, Dec 30: Indian Home Minister Lal Krishan Advani on Sunday said his government would not take decisions under pressure of any country, including the United States.

In a live interaction on the Doordarshan, Advani said although India was closer to the US today, that country had been clearly told that the steps taken by Pakistan to tackle what he called terrorist groups operating from its territory were inadequate and that the action taken against the Jaish-i-Mohammed was a joke.

Advani said India could fight terrorism faster and more effectively if Pakistan stopped sponsoring groups such as the Lashkar-i-Taiba and Jaish-i-Mohammed. Pakistan and the Taliban had created dangerous situations by sponsoring terrorism, he alleged.

Answering viewers from all parts of the country who generally wanted to know why India was not taking decisive action, the minister emphasized that being pro-active in the battle against terrorism did not necessarily mean hot pursuit.

He said the recall of the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad, reducing staff strength and withdrawing permission for use of Indian air space were all leading to decisive action.

Noting that there could be no excuses for not taking action against terrorism, Advani said “the government cannot act irresponsibly but cannot keep silent either”.

Answering a question, he said while cross-border terrorism was a reality, the number of Indians going across the border to receive training had come down and alleged that now it was mostly Pakistani and Afghan terrorists who were entering the country.—dpa