“If 10 people are killed somewhere and nobody comes to know about it, nobody is terrorised. Somebody’s son is kidnapped and killed, then a mother sitting 500 miles away is terrorised, ‘could it happen to my son also’?” He asked.

“This is why we have to change our media policy, become more transparent, take them into confidence. And when we don’t tell them anything they probably speculate at times, which creates more terror in society. So perception management is an important part,” he added.

In 1985, Margaret Thatcher, while discussing the Trans World Airlines flight hijacking, had said democratic nations “'must try to find ways to starve the terrorist and the hijacker of the oxygen of publicity on which they depend.”

Mr. Doval said Pakistan made sponsorship of terrorism an instrument of state policy.

Lauding the efforts of India during the proceedings of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Mr. Doval said, “The biggest pressure on Pakistan is from the FATF. If you can collect evidence and share... Everyone knows Pakistan supports and finances terror. Only you people [the ATS, the STF and the NIA] can collect evidence. We are not targeting one country...don’t destroy evidence, use them... how we did against Pakistan. Give it to the media.”

You need to subscribe or sign-up to read Today's Paper articles.

Already have an account ? Sign in

Find mobile-friendly version of articles from the day's newspaper in one easy-to-read list.

Enjoy reading our articles without intrusion from advertisements.

A select list of articles that match your interests and tastes.

Move smoothly between articles as our pages load instantly.

A one-stop-shop for seeing the latest updates, and managing your preferences.

We brief you on the latest and most important developments, three times a day.

*Our Digital Subscription plans do not currently include the e-paper ,crossword, iPhone, iPad mobile applications and print. Our plans enhance your reading experience.

Support The Hindu's new online experience with zero ads.

Already a user? Sign In