Islamabad: Pakistan's parliament on Wednesday called on India to respond positively to its offers of cooperation in investigating the Mumbai attacks and condemned "war hype" between the neighbours.
The National Assembly, Pakistan's lower house of parliament, unanimously passed a resolution expressing support for the government and urged New Delhi to reciprocate Islamabad's efforts to defuse tension.
"The National Assembly of Pakistan ... calls upon India to respond to the constructive proposals made by the government of Pakistan," Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Malik Emad Khan said while tabling the resolution.
"(The house) condemns the war hype in a situation where war is not an option given the nuclear capabilities of both countries," the assembly said. Fiery rhetoric has been coming from various quarters on both sides, much of it from media commentators, since the attacks.
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said the country was prepared for any eventuality though war seemed unlikely. "There's tremendous public pressure on the Indian government because of their intelligence failure (to stop the Mumbai attacks) and now they want to make someone a scapegoat," he told reporters in Lahore.
"I don't think there will be a war but if they try to do such an adventure then the Pakistani nation is united. All forces in Pakistan are united."
India’s Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday asked Pakistan to avoid "war hysteria" and act against militants. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told reporters: "The issue is not war, the issue is terror and territory in Pakistan being used to promote, aid and abet this terror."
Tension has been simmering between Pakistan and India since 179 people were killed in last month's attacks in Mumbai that India has blamed on Pakistan-based militants. Pakistan has condemned the Mumbai attacks and denied any role in the assault.
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