US gets into the act - Zardari warns India against “over reaction”

Washington/Islamabad: With a India-Pakistan face off over the terrorist strike in Mumbai threatening to escalate, it is now becoming clear that US may have stepped up efforts to diffuse the situation, even as the civilian Pakistani establishment may have decided to begin making all the right noises to help matters.

Reports emerging from Washington suggest that secretary of state Condoleezza Rice has twice called India's foreign minister, Pranab Mukherjee, along with Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari, since the beginning of the crisis.

"There were very worrying tensions in the region," said Gordon Duguid, a State Department spokesman. "She was calling the president of Pakistan to get his read on how those tensions might be affected."

Even as Pakistan's ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani, said in a statement that "it is unfair to blame Pakistan or Pakistanis for these acts of terrorism even before an investigation is undertaken," US president George W Bush pledged cooperation with Indian authorities.

Meanwhile soon after the Paksiatni cabinet met in an emergency session Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari warned India against any "over-reaction" after the militant attacks in Mumbai and also vowed the "strictest" action if Pakistani involvement should be proved.

"Whoever is responsible for the brutal and crude act against the Indian people and India are looking for reaction," Zardari said in an interview with Indian CNN-IBN television.

"We have to rise above them and make sure ourselves, yourself and world community guard against over-reaction," he said according to an interview transcript.

Zardari promised that he would take immediate and strong measures if proof was provided of Pakistani involvement. "Let me assure you that if any evidence points to any individual or any group in this part of the world, I shall take the strictest of action in the light of this evidence and in front of the world," he said.

"This is a world threat and all the more reason we have to stand up against this threat together," he said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, told a press conference Saturday that Pakistan will take action against any group within its borders if it was involved in the Mumbai attacks.

"Any entity or group involved in the ghastly act, the Pakistani government will proceed against it," he told reporters in a televised press conference.

He was briefing reporters after Pakistan's cabinet held a crisis session even as tensions escalated over Indian accusations that attackers originated in Pakistan.

'The Indian government has requested for cooperation. And the government of Pakistan has decided to extend full cooperation and at all levels,' he told reporters here. This, he added, would be at both the 'political level and at the level of our intelligence agencies'.

Qureshi, who returned from India earlier in the day, also insisted that Pakistan was not on the defensive over Indian accusations of Pakistani involvement in the attack on Mumbai.

'Pakistan is not on the defensive. The government of Pakistan and all institutions of Pakistan are unanimous that Pakistan is not involved in this ghastly act,' he said. 'And that is why we do not have to be on the defensive and we are not on the defensive. Extending cooperation and the fact that after the incident I remained on Indian soil for three days ... [this] shows Pakistan is not on the defensive.'

Qureshi also said that Pakistan attached the 'highest importance to friendly and good neighbourly relations with India. It feels that good relations and friendly relations with India are essential for regional peace and stability.'

'The cabinet has decided to take the entire political leadership of Pakistan into confidence on the evolving situation. The cabinet feels finger pointing or coming to hasty conclusions will be playing into the hands of the common enemy, that is the terrorist.'

He added: 'The cabinet resolved that national interest of Pakistan will remain supreme in all decisions of the government. It was decided at the cabinet to remain fully engaged with the political leadership and establishment of India.'