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We may have helped insurgency some time, says Pakistan envoy

"We are now trying our best to stop infiltration"

WASHINGTON: Pakistan has admitted that it might have helped insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir at ``some time'' but claimed "it is now trying its best'' to prevent infiltration of militants into India.

"Jihad, insurgency or whatever you want to call it in Kashmir...Yes, Pakistan may have helped `jihad' at some time but it was not started by us and now we are trying our best to stop people from crossing," Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States Mahmud Ali Durrani said.

He was delivering a lecture at the South Asia Programme of the School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University

Asked what Pakistan was doing to stop terrorist outfits such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) from crossing into Jammu and Kashmir, he said: "To the best of my knowledge, the Lakshar-e-Taiba is a banned organisation. They are no more in Pakistan."

Money collection boxes

However, even two years ago, the LeT had money collection boxes in the markets of Rawalpindi, he said.

"There were hundreds and thousands of these boxes. That is finished and the Lashkar-e-Taiba does not have the luxury of those funds... and the organisation has been banned."

"We are trying our very best. We have put military as well as intelligence assets in areas where from people went. There is no serious cross border movement today in Kashmir."

He said there were ``vast areas'' in which both India and Pakistan had responsibilities.

"Both parties have responsibilities. If we can't hypothetically stop every guy from crossing over, the other side has responsibility too. So it is a joint issue. It has been addressed," he said.

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