India will seek 'zero tolerance' pledge on terrorism from G-8

17 Jul, 2006

India will urge leaders of the Group of Eight nations meeting in Russia to adopt a policy of "zero tolerance" towards terrorism across the world, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Sunday.
"We will impress upon the leaders ... that the international community must adopt an approach of zero tolerance towards terrorism anywhere," Singh said in a statement before his departure for Russia.
Singh is headed for Saint Petersburg where he will meet US President George W. Bush, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Hu Jintao among other leaders.
"The international community must isolate and condemn terrorists wherever they attack, whatever their cause and whichever country or group provides them sustenance and support," he said.
"Terrorism is a scourge that continues to afflict different parts of the world. The human cost that this entails was brought forth once again by the recent attacks in Mumbai and Srinagar," Singh added.
The premier's comments follow a number of attacks in India's financial capital Mumbai and Indian-administered Kashmir last week. At least 181 people were killed in seven blasts that went off within 15 minutes of each other along Mumbai's western railway line on Tuesday, tearing open first-class train carriages packed with rush-hour commuters.
Suspected Islamic rebels targeted Indian tourists in the revolt-hit region of Kashmir the same day, killing nine and wounding 39 in five separate grenade attacks.

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