"There are elements in Pakistan who believe terrorism is the means to further Pakistani interests. There are elements within the Pakistani State that have not done enough to control these groups," Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said at an interaction with visiting journalists from Afghanistan.
She recounted the tale of a monster created by scientist Frankenstein in British author Mary Shelley's eponymous novel Frankenstein, The monster, created from body parts of exhumed corpses, turns to threaten the scientist himself.
"There are elements within the Pakistani State that have not done enough to control these groups. In fact they have allowed it to grow stronger and that is the danger that is eating the country. It is like Frankenstein's monster. Pakistan has created that Frankenstein's monster," Rao said.
The foreign secretary said there were elements in Pakistan who believe that terrorism is a means to further their country's interests. However, she was quick to add that not everybody in Pakistan thought on similar lines.
"I am sure the people of Pakistan want peace and civility but there are groups in Pakistan who feel violence is a way out," she said.
Rao said the source of terrorism affecting the region was in Pakistan and it was a big problem for the Pakistani society itself. "Terrorism is a big problem for the Pakistani society today. They will have to root out this evil definitely and that will help all of us in the region," she said.
Referring to the 26/11 attacks and proof gathered by investigators pointing to the involvement of Pakistan-based groups behind it, the foreign secretary said, "These are problems that are coming out of Pakistan. During the Mumbai terror attacks the terrorists came from Pakistan by boat and the lone surviving gunman is from Pakistan. There is lot of proof to confirm our suspicion."
She said the people in Pakistan feel that India has been targetting their country but the fact was that the illness was in that country itself. "The fact is that the illness, the sickness is in Pakistan itself. Unless they treat it, it is not going to help Pakistan or the region," Rao said.
Later, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna addressed the visiting journalists and handed over certificates for the training programme organised by the Indian Institute of Mass Communication for them.
