‘Under pressure’ India might get adventurous: Gilani

“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 said 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 to 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 on 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 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, 2007 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.