Pak army chief favours easing of tensions with India

Rezaul H Laskar

Islamabad, Dec 29 (PTI) Pakistan's army chief Gen Ashfaq
Parvez Kayani Monday emphasised the need to "de-escalate and
avoid conflict" with India in the wake of the Mumbai attacks
as China launched a diplomatic initiative to ease the Indo-Pak
tensions by dispatching a top diplomat here.

Kayani's comments, believed to be his first on the
situation, came during his talks with Chinese Vice Foreign
Minister He Yafei, who is here to help defuse the Indo-Pak
tensions.

"The army chief highlighted the need to de-escalate and
avoid conflict in the interest of peace and security," said a
brief military statement, which was issued after He Yafei's
talks with Kayani and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Committee Gen Tariq Majid.

The Pakistan army chief claimed that Islamabad has been
exercising restraint amids tensions with India, but at the
same time insisted that his country reserved the right to
defend itself in the event of any aggression, TV channels here
reported.

Kayani and Majid described as baseless "allegations"
levelled by India against Pakistan after last month's Mumbai
terror strikes, the reports said.

TV channels quoted the military leaders as saying that
Pakistan had been exercising restraint but a befitting
response would be given in case of any aggression.

He Yafei, the Vice Foreign Minister of Pakistan's
'all-weather' ally China who arrived here yesterday, also met
Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik, a day after his talks
with Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir.

He Yafei's visit here came days after Chinese Foreign
Minister Yang Jeichi spoke to his Indian and Pakistani
counterparts, Pranab Mukherjee and Shah Mahmood Qureshi
respectively, on the situation in the subcontinent.

Yang pressed both countries to move ahead with the peace
process and maintain stability in the region.

He Yafei Sunday called on India and Pakistan to work
together to defuse tensions. He also stressed the need for
maintaining peace and stability in South Asia and said
escalation of tensions was not in the interest of India or
Pakistan.

The Chinese Vice Foreign Minister was told by his
interlocutors that Pakistan is ready to carry out a joint
investigation into the Mumbai attacks and will take action
against anyone found involved in the terrorist incident if New
Delhi shared evidence with Islamabad, 'Daily Times' newspaper
reported.

He Yafei is scheduled to meet Foreign Minister Shah
Mahmood Qureshi, President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister
Yousuf Raza Gilani.

Over the past few days, China has stepped up efforts
to defuse tensions between Pakistan and India.

The Chinese minister has assured his interlocutors that
his country will remain in close contact with Pakistan in
pursuance of peace and stability. PTI RHL
SAK