India's PM: 'Nobody wants war'

Source: Agencies  |   2008-12-24  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

INDIA'S prime minister insisted yesterday that "nobody wants war" as he tried to calm fears a day after Pakistan sent fighter jets into the skies amid heightened tensions between the two nations.

Relations between the longtime, nuclear-armed rivals have been strained since the Mumbai terrorist attacks that killed 164 people last month. India blames militants operating from Pakistani soil and wants Islamabad to crack down; Pakistan says India has not provided proof of Pakistani involvement.

Seeking to temper tensions, Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, made his second visit to Pakistan since the Mumbai attacks. He urged the country's leadership to work with India to fight terrorism.

In New Delhi, the head of Interpol said Pakistan has agreed to work with the global police agency to help investigate the attacks. But three weeks into the probe, India has not yet shared any evidence that would help the agency identify suspects from other countries, Ronald Noble said.

At the same time, Noble defended India's right to decide when to share the evidence. "I really respect a sovereign's decision to decide when to share information with police worldwide," the secretary general said.

India has one suspect in custody: the lone surviving gunmen from the November 26 assault. On Monday, India gave Pakistan a letter it says was written by accused gunman Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, an alleged member of the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Kasab wrote that all 10 gunmen involved in the November 26 attack came from Pakistan, India's Foreign Ministry said. He also requested a meeting with Pakistani envoys, it said.

In Islamabad, the head of Pakistan's Interior Ministry Rehman Malik said Pakistan had no record of Kasab.

Malik, speaking at a news conference with Noble, said experts were examining the letter. However, he reiterated that Pakistan cannot fully investigate potential links back to the country without more evidence from India.

With tensions rising, Pakistan's military sent fighter jets flying low near several of Pakistan's major cities. "In view of the current environment, the Pakistan Air Force has enhanced its vigilance," the military said in a statement.

Pakistan has also accused Indian fighter jets of violating its airspace, a charge New Delhi denies.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sought to calm tensions.

"The issue is not war; nobody wants war," he told reporters. "The issue is terror - and territory in Pakistan being used to promote and abet terrorism."