Pakistan does not want war with India: Gilani

Islamabad, Dec 25 (PTI) Seeking to tone down the war
hysteria, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Thursday said
Pakistan does not want a conflict with India and is determined
to foil the designs of "non-state actors" to use the country's
soil to indulge in terrorism anywhere.

Gilani said Pakistan wants "excellent" relations with
India even as he asked the international community to persuade
New Delhi to defuse the current tensions.

"We understand India's pain as we are also affected by
terrorism," he said. "Pakistan is a responsible country and is
engaged in the war on terror. We don't want terrorist attacks
anywhere in the world, including India."

Gilani said his country was ready to share
intelligence with India. "We don't want terrorism in any form
to be encouraged.

Gilani said his government is determined to foil the
designs of "non-state actors" and elements opposed to
stability and the ideals of Benazir Bhutto and her father
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

At the same time, Gilani said Pakistan armed forces
know how to defend the country in the event of any aggression.

"I want to tell the world that as a responsible
nation, we don't want war but...if war is imposed on us, the
people, the leadership and the armed forces know how to defend
the country," he said in his third such assertions in as many
days.

"Nobody should have any mistaken notions about this,"
Gilani told reporters after offering prayers at the mausoleum
of slain former Premier Benazir Bhutto at Garhi Khuda Baksh in
Sindh province.

The premier also urged the world community "to
convince India that they should defuse the situation
(prevailing) at the moment".

Gilani reiterated his contention that the Indian
government might resort to an "adventure" in the face of
increasing public pressure after the Mumbai terror attacks.

He had said Wednesday that India was trying to find a
scapegoat to cover up for intelligence failures associated
with the attacks.

"Public pressure is increasing on them. When public
pressure becomes too much, they naturally expect to indulge in
some adventure. But I want to tell the nation and the whole
world that Pakistan has no intention of going to war," he
said.

If India presented evidence linking Pakistan-based
elements to the Mumbai attacks, Pakistan would conduct its own
inquiry to establish the veracity of such charges, he said.

"We will take the people into confidence about the
inquiry and ask them if there is a prima facie case against
the persons who might be pin-pointed (in the evidence)," he
added.

Gilani said he had "good working relations" with his
Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh and had even accepted the
latter's suggestion for intelligence sharing in the aftermath
of the Mumbai attacks.

He noted that India and Pakistan had made much
progress in their relations. "We want to have excellent
relations with our neighbours, whether it is India or
Afghanistan," he added.

Gilani said he had spoken to Singh soon after the
Mumbai attacks and offered his condolences.

The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader said his
government is determined to foil the designs of "non-state
actors" and elements opposed to stability and the ideals of
Benazir Bhutto and her father Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

However, Gilani said the suicide attack on Benazir's
motorcade hours after her return to Pakistan from self-exile
in October last year was a "bigger attack" than the Mumbai
carnage. Nearly 140 people were killed in the suicide bombing
of Benazir's motorcade in Mumbai while more than 180 people
were killed in the Mumbai attacks. PTI RHL
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