Not war but dismantle terror machines: PM

Clearing air on war-like situation developing between India and Pakistan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday asserted that India did not want war but asked Islamabad to dismantle terror machine operating from its soil.

The Prime Minister said that there was no question of war. In fact, nobody wants war.

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The issue here is not war but terrorism, and India will not accept a situation where terrorism is used as an instrument to cripple its economy or the values it stands for.

"The issue is not war, the issue is terror and territory in Pakistan being used to promote, aid and abet these terrorists. Nobody wants war. We would like an objective effort to dismantle the terror machine, and the government of Pakistan knows what that implies," Dr. Singh told reporters outside Parliament on Tuesday.

He also asked the international community to use its power and influence to persuade Pakistan to comply with UN resolutions, including the recent Security Council's resolution 1267, banning militant organisations and individuals in Pakistan.

Earlier in the day, Dr. Singh addressing the heads of Indian mission, said: “India seeks peace and stability in its neighbourhood. The situation is, however, worrisome. Non-state actors, aided and abetted by state establishments, are practising terrorism. The Mumbai strikes are an attack on India’s ambitions to emerge as an economic power.”

In a separate comment, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee asked Pakistan to stop creating a war hysteria and act responsibly against the Mumbai terror perpetrators.

The comments from both the top leaders assume significance as it came a day after Pakistani air force conducted air manoeuvres, apparently a signal that it was ready to retaliate if India conducted strikes on militant apparatus in PoK.

Mukherjee said that Pakistan should also keep its words made by former president Pervez Musharraf on Jan 6, 2004 and President Zardari on September 2, 2008 not to allow use of its territory for terrorist activities against India.

However, India believes that Pakistan is resorting to such tactics to distract the attention of international community who is mounting pressure on Pakistan to act against terrorists responsible for Mumbai terror strikes and dismantle terrorist infrastructure there.