India and Pakistan say they do not want war, as tension mounts between
them. There has been a sharp
deterioration in ties between the South Asian neighbors following last
month's terror strikes in Mumbai, which India blames on Islamic
militants based in Pakistan.
Pakistani Prime Minister Syed
Yousaf Raza Gilani said Saturday that Islamabad does not want war with
India, but is prepared to defend itself from aggression.
Mr.
Gilani said, "Only if someone acts, we will react. We will not take any
action on our own." He said Pakistan wants friendly relations with its
neighbor.
His comment came a day after Pakistani officials said
that the military has moved some troops from the western border with
Afghanistan to the eastern frontier with India.
Tension has mounted between the two countries since the reported troop movement.
In New Delhi, Indian leaders urged Pakistan not to create what they termed "war hysteria."
India's
junior foreign minister, Anand Sharma, said the government wants
Islamabad to crack down on Pakistani-based terror groups, which New
Delhi blames for last month's terror strikes in Mumbai.
"The
war mongering by Pakistan is unwarranted and irresponsible. Instead of
indulging in this and creating tension in the subcontinent, it would be
in the interest of the region and in Pakistan's own interest to take
action against the two organizations which have been named,
Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jamat-ud-Dawa," he said.
Pakistan says India has offered no evidence that the attacks in Mumbai were conducted by anyone in the country.
The
Mumbai attacks, in which at least 170 people were killed, have brought
old hostilities between the two countries into sharp focus.
While
Pakistan has canceled leave for army personnel, New Delhi has advised
its citizens to avoid traveling to Pakistan, saying it was unsafe for
them to be in the neighboring country. The Indian Prime Minister also
held a strategy meeting with the country's defense chiefs on Friday.
The
international community is trying to calm the situation between the
nuclear armed neighbors. The United States has urged both countries to
avoid escalating tensions. India and Pakistan have fought three wars
since their independence from Britain.
