Radicalisation of Pakistan's society matter of concern: NSA Ajit Doval

NEW DELHI: The radicalistion of Pakistani society is a matter of "added concern" for India amid a "highly vitiated" external environment, the National Security Adviser today said while emphasising the need for building a strong security apparatus as a deterrence.

NSA Ajit Doval said that India wants to deal with Pakistan in a way which was fair, correct and transparent and without bending to any of the "pressure tactics" or "blackmailing".

Neither does it want to think that the nuclear threshold would leave India with no option but to accept the "covert" war as a reality to which they do not have any response.

Talking about the security situation, Doval said the external environment was getting highly vitiated.

He said that although one might think what is happening in Iraq, Syria or Yemen was far away from India, it may not be as far or as distant as it looks to be.

"The threat is real, the threat is imminent," Doval said at a seminar organised by the Air Force Association here.

Noting that there are changes taking place in Afghanistan and Pakistan, he said the societies are becoming much more radicalised.

"Particularly in Pakistan... The radicalisation of Pakistan society is a matter of added concern. We are sceptical about the abilities or the competence and the will and desire of the Pakistan government to take on and control the situation though we would like them very much to do so," he said.

Doval also spoke about the friendship between Pakistan and China, which are both nuclear powers.

He said India has a "very very definite" policy for dealing with Pakistan.

"We want to deal with Pakistan in a way which is fair, correct, transparent and which is not bending to any of the pressure tactics or the blackmailing or the thinking that nuclear threshold probably will leave India with no option but to accept the covert war as a reality to which they don't have any response," he said.

Doval added that India does not want Pakistan to think like that.

"We want them to change their thinking and, to that extent, India is happy (to help) and India has been trying to engage and I do hope that this engagement in changed circumstances will make them understand that it is in the interests of both the countries," he said.