Pakistan should fulfill its obligations to fight terrorism: Mukherjee

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee New Delhi, Apr 5 : External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday said that India would welcome any effort by the international community which ensured that Pakistan fulfills its obligations to fight terrorism.

"As a responsible state, Pakistan should fulfill its obligations. Any effort by the international community to ensure that they fulfill their international obligations to fight against terrorism are welcome," Mukherjee told reporters here.

On fishermen issue who have crossed over to Sri Lanka's territorial waters, Mukherjee said: "I am aware of the problem of the fishermen. Sometimes they are subjected to harassment. We have standing arrangement with Sri Lankan authority and we are repeatedly sensitizing it. Even when I visited there last time, I made it quite clear that killing fishermen under no circumstances are acceptable. You may have your problem but simply you cannot pull a bullet on an innocent person who might have crossed the boundary and entered into your territory," he added.

Meanwhile, responding on the reports that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is integrating while the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is disintegrating, Mukherjee said the NDA is on a loosing ground after many of its allies left it.

"I am not interested whether the NDA is integrating or disintegrating. But as a matter of fact, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is no longer in the NDA, Trinamool Congress is no longer in the NDA, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is no longer in the NDA. But, in the case of the UPA, there have been seat adjustments, nobody has left the UPA," Mukherjee added.

When asked about the promises made by the BJP, Mukherjee said that the saffron party had its stint in the power and it should not indulge in giving fanciful promises, which were difficult to realize in the present scenario.

"During the time of elections, lot of rhetoric and lot of indulgence in playing with the words take place, but those with the experience of running the government even for short while, need not to indulge in to fancier figures, which would be extremely difficult to implement with the present state of economy," he added.

The Union Minister also slammed the Communist Party of India- Marxist (CPM), saying people of the country should not trust on newly formed Third Front.

"Having received uninterrupted power for more than three decades in all level village council, municipality, assembly, parliament in all levels, if you could not deliver goods in one state, can people of India trust you under your Third Front under your leadership, to hand over the country to you?" he added.

General elections are scheduled to be held between April 16 and May 13, in which 714 million people will cast their votes. (ANI)

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