War with Pak not a solution: Pranab

War was not the solution to cross-border terrorism, but India did expect Pakistan to do more to tackle the menace, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told Parliament, reports HT Correspondent.

War was not the solution to cross-border terrorism, but India did expect Pakistan to do more to tackle the menace, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told Parliament on Wednesday.

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“Unless the perpetrators of the terror attacks are brought to justice, unless the infrastructure available to terror activities is completely dismantled, which will be verifiable and credible not only to India but to the international community, we’ll continue to demand from Pakistan... They (Pakistan) will have to respond to it,” he said.

He said diplomacy had succeeded, and not failed as the opposition parties were saying, in forcing Pakistan to admit its soil was used for the 26/11 terattacks, Mukherjee said, replying to the debate on a motion of thanks to the President for her address to the joint session of Parliament on February 12.

“We didn’t mobilise a single soldier, we did not press the panic button, we didn’t lay mines on the border, but we said we expected Pakistan to fulfil its commitment,” he said.

Mukherjee, who spoke in both the Houses, appeared alluding to massive troop mobilisation and military exercises as part of the Operation Parakram during the NDA rule after the 2001 attack on Parliament.

“We were advised why can't we retaliate like some other countries are doing… The government believed that war with Pakistan would not solve the problem of terrorism.”

The minister accepted that it took Pakistan a while to admit its soil was used for Mumbai terror strikes. The delay “doesn’t mean we have to rub them on the wrong side. We understand the complexities (in Pakistan). The Leader of Opposition (L K Advani) understands because he comes from that side of the world. So, that (attacking Pakistan) is not the solution,” he said.