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Clinton Presses Pakistan To Do More On Militancy
BBC NEWS, INDIA
May 8, 2012: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called on Pakistan to do more to crack down on militancy, as she ends a two-day trip to neighboring India. Mrs Clinton said Pakistan's government needed to ensure that its territory was not used for launching attacks anywhere, including inside Pakistan. She was at the end of an Asian tour.
Addressing reporters with Indian Foreign Minister SM Krishna, she added that India was critical in efforts to prevent Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
Talks between Mrs Clinton and Indian officials ranged from India's imports of Iranian oil to foreign investment.
'Scourge'
But on Tuesday Mrs Clinton stressed that Pakistan should do more to crack down on violent extremism. "Terrorists in Pakistan have killed more than 30,000 Pakistanis. We need stronger, more concerted efforts against the scourge of terrorism," she said.
The comments come just one day after she said Pakistan should act against Hafiz Saeed, founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, the group blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Ten gunmen killed 165 people in a three-day rampage that targeted luxury hotels, a train station and a Jewish center in India's commercial capital. Only one gunman, Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab, was captured alive.
After initial denials, Pakistan acknowledged that the assault had been partially planned on its territory and that Qasab was a Pakistani citizen. He is appealing against a death sentence in India.
Mrs Clinton also said the US looked to India as a partner in the international effort to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. The US has been putting pressure on nations to stop importing Iranian oil, an important source of revenue for Tehran.
"We commend India for the steps it is taking to reduce imports [of oil] from Iran. We are working with India on alternative sources of supply." She said US will be sending an energy envoy to India next week for discussions with Indian officials on alternative sources of fuel.
Indian Foreign Minister SM Krishna said Iran was "an important source of oil for us" given India's growing energy needs. But, he said, India also had "a strong interest in peaceful and negotiated settlement of issues relating to Iran's nuclear program".
Mrs Clinton's visit to India is the final stop on a three-nation tour which also took her to China and Bangladesh.
