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“Common friends” trying to defuse India-Pakistan tensions, says Gilani

Yusuf Raza Gilani

ISLAMABAD: Fighter jets of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) thundered through the night skies over the federal capital on Friday as the country’s leadership continued to send out signals that it expected India to launch military strikes against Pakistan imminently.

There was no official word from the PAF about the night sorties, nor was there any confirmation of reports about redeployment of Pakistani troops from the western to eastern borders.

Speaking in Lahore, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani said Pakistan would never commit aggression first, however, it would “fully retaliate if war is imposed on it.”

He said the Army was playing its role to defend the country, and said “common friends” of both countries were engaged in diplomatic efforts to defuse the tensions.

The Foreign Ministers of China and Iran, who spoke to External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday, also spoke to Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi later.

A statement from the Foreign Ministry said Mr. Qureshi told the Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jeichi about the need for India “to pursue a policy of restraint and responsibility.”

He told Mr. Yang that Pakistan was in “full compliance” with U.N. Security Council Resolution 1267 under which Jamat-ud-dawah, its leader Hafiz Saeed and three others were designated “terrorist.” He reiterated the offer to conduct a joint investigation with India into the Mumbai incidents, “provided relevant evidence was furnished.”

According to the statement, the Chinese Foreign Minister hoped that Pakistan and India would work together to combat terrorism, and called for peace and stability in South Asia emphasising that the escalation of tensions was not in the interest of either India or Pakistan.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told Mr. Qureshi that he had urged India “to show calm and restraint.” According to a statement, Mr. Mottaki said instability in South Asia would affect the whole region.

Mr. Qureshi, according to the Foreign Ministry, told his Iranian counterpart that Pakistan, as a “victim of terrorism,” was engaged in fighting the menace. He told him it was a regional concern that would require the “mutual co-operation” of all countries.

Both the Iranian and Chinese Foreign Ministers said their governments would remain engaged with India and Pakistan to defuse the tensions.

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