Odishatv Bureau
Mumbai: Speakers at a panel discussion on Tuesday described Pakistan as the "epicentre of terrorism" and said concerted efforts were needed to effectively counter the terror threat. The terror threat can be countered by forging a common platform between peace-loving Muslims and non-Muslims, said Sudheendra Kulkarni, former aide of BJP leader L K Advani.

He was speaking at a panel discussion on `Globalisation of terrorism in the run-up to the third anniversary of 26/11."

Pakistan is the "epicentre of terrorism" and is today threatened by the same forces it encouraged in the past, said Kulkarni, a columnist.

People understand `Jihad` (holy war) in different ways, he said. "There is a positive meaning to Jihad. It talks of self-purification, but the concept has been misunderstood."

If peace is restored in war-torn Afghanistan, it will benefit the entire South Asia, said Kulkarni, who is also Chairman of Observer Research Foundation, a not-for-profit multidisciplinary public policy think tank.

Security expert V Balachandran, a former Secretary at Cabinet Secretariat, said, "Like the USA, India should also have public-private participation to prevent terrorism."

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