India’s defence minister AK Antony has complained that Pakistan is using some of the weapons it gets from the US for fighting terror against India.
Speaking at a function in Kannur in Kerala, Antony said the matter has been repeatedly brought to the notice of the US Government.
“They get a lot of weapons from the US for fighting terrorists. Some of these are being used against India. We have complained repeatedly to the US about this, but the response has not been satisfactory,” Antony said.
The US provides weapons and equipment — sometimes worth as much as a billion dollars a year — under its Coalition Support Fund and other programs, to Pakistan to aid it in capturing terrorists. While a lot of the money is allegedly diverted to non-military purposes, a big chunk is sent in the form of weapons, which, according to Antony, is diverted to Pakistan’s Eastern border with India.
Pakistan and India have fought three wars and have an uneasy peace prevailing between them for decades. The peace is often broken in “skirmishes” and cross-border shelling, often to provide cover for terrorists moving to and fro between India and Pakistan.
Asked about the recently started dialogue between the two countries, Antony said he does not believe there can be a true or lasting peace between the two countries as long as Pakistan drags its feet on dismantling terror camps.
“We know that there are still around 42 terrorist training camps in Pakistan,” Antony said.