News APP

NewsApp (Free)

Read news as it happens
Download NewsApp

Available on  gplay

Rediff.com  » News » There will not be a war: Pakistan PM

There will not be a war: Pakistan PM

Source: PTI
Last updated on: December 24, 2008 18:14 IST
Get Rediff News in your Inbox:

Ruling out the possibility of a war with India in the wake of heightened tensions, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday alleged the Indian government was trying to find a scapegoat to cover up for the intelligence failure behind the Mumbai terror attacks.

"My assessment is that there will not be a war," he said in Lahore.

However, he said the government and armed forces of Pakistan were prepared for all eventualities in the face of mounting tensions between the two countries.

"We are a responsible nation and we are assessing the situation. The armed forces of Pakistan are assessing the situation but I do not think there will be a war," he said.

"If they (India) try to indulge in any adventure of this kind, the people and institutions of Pakistan are united."

Gilani said there were indications that there was great public pressure on the Indian government in the wake of the Mumbai attacks. "There was an intelligence failure and they want to make someone the scapegoat," he claimed.

"We want good relations with all countries, we don't want a war with anyone," he said.

India has blamed Pakistan-based elements, including the Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorist group, for the Mumbai attacks. It has asked Pakistan to take action against these elements.

Pakistan has been insisting that it can take forward its probe into the attacks only if India formally shares evidence about the involvement of the Pakistani elements.

"If anyone speaks to us at an international level, they should back it up with evidence...The evidence will be shared with the country. So we don't want to jump to a conclusion," Gilani said.

Get Rediff News in your Inbox:
Source: PTI© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.