Stop patronage of forces within Pak to anti-India groups: Rao

India has demanded stopping "forthwith" the "patronage of powerful forces and institutions" within Pakistan to the groups involved in anti-India acts, saying it faces "hostile forces" from across the border with that country.

India has demanded stopping "forthwith" the "patronage of powerful forces and institutions" within Pakistan to the groups involved in anti-India acts, saying it faces "hostile forces" from across the border with that country.

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Describing "cross-border terrorism faced by India" as a "pivotal security challenge", Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said, "we face hostile forces across our border with Pakistan, although we have consistently stressed our support for the advancement of democracy" there in an atmosphere of peace, goals that the United States also identifies with.

She was delivering the keynote address at a conference on Indo-US relations here, text of which was made public today.

"The groups, which direct such attacks against India, have received the patronage of powerful forces and institutions within that country. It is vital that this support must stop forthwith.

"Any viable process of normalisation of our relations with Pakistan is essentially dependent on this requirement since it is unrealistic to think otherwise," she said.

She also sought greater Indo-US cooperation and more frequent consultations on security-related issues including the threat of international terrorism and the evolving security architecture in Asia.