India keeps constant watch on China’s rail links in border areas: Krishna

“This includes the states of Jammu and Kashmir,Himachal Pradesh,Uttarakhand,Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh,” External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said while replying to a question in the Lok Sabha.

He said the government keeps a “constant watch” on all developments that has a bearing on India’s security and takes all necessary measures to safeguard it.

China’s developmental activities in the border region also includes the proposed extension of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway line up to Nyingchi.

Replying to another question,Krishna said the government is aware of China’s enhanced economic and technological capabilities in the execution of infrastructure projects in developing countries,including the recent reports of a Chinese company winning a contract with the Sri Lanka Ports Authority for the construction of the Colombo South Container Terminal.

To a question on Pakistan’s nuclear weapons development activity,Krishna said the government has seen a report of the Institute of Science and International Security in Washington on the basis of newly obtained satellite imagery which suggested a step-up in the development of nuclear weapons in the neighbouring country.

Asserting that it is necessary to have an environment free of terror if Indo-Pak relations are to move forward “concretely and meaningfully”,he said India expects Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to justice,to unravel the full conspiracy behind the strikes,to fulfill its commitment to dismantle terror infrastructure and to deny sanctuary to all terrorist groups which operate from its soil.

He,however,maintained that even after the Mumbai attacks,though the Composite Dialogue process was paused,the door for dialogue with Pakistan was never closed.