NEW DELHI: Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday that Pakistan should close down what he termed a “factory of terrorism”, while offering India’s help to Islamabad in fighting terrorists.

He told a regional editors’ conference in Chandigarh that India had nothing against the people of Pakistan, but it was the state that had adopted terrorism as its policy.

“That is the reason it has been isolated not only in South Asia, but also in the world. India is ready to help Pakistan in taking action against terrorists in Pakistan. But for that Islamabad should close down ‘factory of terrorism’. This will open vistas of development and help in ensuring peace in South Asia,” Mr Singh said.

Referring to India’s claim of carrying out surgical strikes along the Line of Control against alleged terrorist launch pads, Mr Singh said it was a pre-emptive action and “India does not harbour any ill-will against the people of Pakistan”.

Mr Singh again said his government had decided to seal the border with Pakistan with physical and non-physical barriers by December 2018.

There is about 181.85km stretch in which construction of physical barriers is not feasible due to geographic constraints like riverine, low-lying, creek and marshy areas. In this stretch, advance technology solutions, including cameras, sensors, radars and lasers, will be deployed.

The Indian Border Security Force was testing the available technologies through pilot projects in Jammu, Punjab and Gujarat, the minister said.

“Pakistan’s entire establishment is engaged in fuelling terrorism in India and that’s why the management of areas along the Indo-Pak border has become a challenging task... But those who rear snakes should know they would bite them,” he said.

“If its intentions remain clear, India can help Pakistan carry out an anti-terror campaign, including (in Azad Kashmir). If Pakistan wishes it can seek our help and India is ready to help it... But its intentions are not clear,” Mr Singh said.

“This country shelters not just terrorists. It nurtures a mindset... that loudly proclaims that terrorism is justified for political gains.”

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2016