Pokran: India today (Dec 27, 2003) said the recent assassination bid on Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf was nothing but manifestation of that country's terrorism promotion activity.

"We had been publicly telling Pakistan that those who start terrorism, could end up facing it themselves. Now look what has happened," Defence Minister George Fernandes said in Pokran referring to the assassination attempt on the Pakistan President.

Addressing the jawans of the 34 armoured brigade manning Indo-Pak border, he said while facing the onslaught of Pak-sponsored terrorism, India had always maintained that terrorists did not have any "jaat, dharam, desh or pradesh" (caste, religion, nation or state).

Now the same terrorists had made attempts to kill Pakistan President and that too near the country's capital, Islamabad, he said.

"Not once, not twice but thrice in the last few days they have made attempts to finish him off," he said.

Fernandes attributed the latest ceasefire at Pakistan's initiative as a consequence of the hard work put in by the Indian soldiers.

Though the guns have now fallen silent and shelling stopped, there is no significant reduction in infiltration, he said, adding Pakistan is still providing money, training and weapons to terrorists to spread violence.

Nonetheless with the ceasefire continuing to hold for the past one month there are reasons to be optimistic about the outcome of the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) summit in Islamabad next week, Fernandes said and hoped that the new year would mark a new beginning towards peace.