FATF sword put Pakistan under 'biggest pressure': NSA Ajit Doval at anti-terror meet

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Monday, October 14, said that one of the biggest pressures on Pakistan is because of the proceedings of Financial Action Task Force (FATF). FATF has created so much pressure on India's nuclear-armed neighbour that probably no other action could have done, Doval added.

Stressing on the need to fight terrorism, NSA Ajit Doval said, "Terrorism is nothing new. To fight the ideology of terrorists is an abstract idea. You don't fight terror. You do so by degrading terrorists and that is done by taking his weapon, their concept," NSA Doval said while speaking at the national conference of chiefs of Anti-Terrorism Squad/Special Task Force in New Delhi.

"If a criminal has the support of a state, it becomes a great challenge. Some of the states have mastered this, in our case Pakistan has made it as an instrument of its state policy," Doval added.

Doval also quoted Margaret Thatcher on the need for a change in media policy and said, "Media is a very very important organ to fight against terrorism. If a terrorist take(s) action and the media is quiet about it, terrorism will end." Why do terrorists kill? They do it for publicity, Doval said.

Doval also said that terrorists can be defeated by finding out answers to questions about their background, their source of funds, weapons and also if they are being supported by any other nations.

The anti-terror agency has also issued an alert to some states and Union Territories over a terror attack. The NIA has shared names of around 125 suspects with other agencies.

"We have noticed that the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) has increased its activities in Bihar, Maharashtra, Kerala and Karnataka," said NIA DG Yogesh Chander Modi.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah was not present at the event of the NIA.