Hyderabad, Nov 6 Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram today disclosed that the United States security agencies have informed India that Pakistan has links with the terror plot of the Lashkar -e- Tayebba busted recently in the US.

Chidambaram pointed out that the fact that Hedley, against whom the FBI filed affidavit in the court, visited Pakistan several times showed the country's links with the aborted plot which sought a large-scale terror attacks. Two or more people have also been arrested in Pakistan in this connection on the advice of FBI.

Asked to comment on the statement by the Maoist leader Koteshwar Rao that the Government of India should declare a cease-fire before talks could commence with them, Chidambaram said that he has no information about the demands from the Maoists.

Chidambaram denied that the Centre was launching an 'Operation Green Hunt'. He said the Center was only providing paramilitary assistance, intelligence and technical help to the States wherever necessary. The State Governments were carrying out counter- insurgency measures against the Maoists.

Earlier, addressing Indian Police Service (IPS) probationers at a passing out parade at the Sardar Vallabhabhai National Police Academy, Chidambaram said that the country was better prepared today to face any challenge to its security, sovereignty and integrity.

The government had taken several steps to mount confidence and competence among not only the police, but also the common people. He announced that a corpus fund with 25 million rupees would be set up during the next financial year for research activity in the academy.

On the occasion, 91 IPS probationers including 23 women and 8 Royal Bhutan Security forces passed out after a 45-week long vigorous training course at the Academy. (ANI)