NEW DELHI: Terrorism and extremism will increase in south Asia in the coming years, making the region volatile and instable.

These concerns were expressed by security analysts and defence experts at a seminar on 'Shifting sands- instability in undefined Asia', organised at the India International Centre here today.

The Lashkar-e-Toiba, Harkatul-Mujahideen and other terrorist groups were set to intensify their terrorist activities in the South Asian region to spread fear and the international community had failed to wipe out Al Qaeda and the Taliban from Afghanistan, political analyst Sachdev Vaslaker said.

Vaslaker, who gave a comprehensive presentation on the political and security situation in Asia, also predicted more vulnerable relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

''Conflict between the two neighbours will intensify,'' he said.

He remarked that the visit of ISI chief Lt Gen Ahsanul Haq to the United States was more to do with Afghanistan situation rather than the Indo-Pak ties.

Former National Security Council member B Raman was critical of India's approach towards protecting national interests and said the Pakistani leadership ignored international pressures when it had to protect the national interests.

He said Pakistan had refused to end infiltration depite consist- ent pressure from the Bush administration to end cross-border terrorism. Pakistan felt that terrorism was necessary to harm India, he added.

There was also a general feeling that the political situation in Iran was tense and delicate. The majority of people, especially youth, felt that the current economic stagnation had much to do with the revolution. There was a growing unrest among the youth, who want to restore the glory of Iran as it existed in the 1970s.

Former special envoy to Afghanistan SK Lamba, Lt Gen (Retd) Ramesh Chopa, Maj Gen (Retd) Ashok Mehta, Lt Gen (Retd) Surinder Nath and diplomats of various countries attended the seminar.