NEW YORK, Dec 16: US Secretary of State Colin Powell on Sunday warned India and Pakistan not to allow situation in the region “to spiral out of control” following the attack on Indian parliament two days ago.

Saying that the situation between India and Pakistan was “very tense” which has “potential to spiral out of control,” Powell asked both countries to “come together in the campaign against terrorism.”

Appearing on NBC news programme “Meet The Press “ on Sunday Powell noted that Pakistan President Gen Musharraf has condemned the attack on the Indian parliament and promised to take action against the terrorist organizations which might have been responsible for the attack.

He asked both countries to share information with each other and to come together on the campaign against terrorism.

While saying that the “Indian government clearly has legitimate right to self defence”, Powell said “but we have to be very careful in this instance because if in this exercise of that right of self defence we have states going after each other we could create a very difficult situation which could spiral out of control.”

“We are encouraging both sides to share information with each other not to allow the rhetoric to be racheted up and then that rhetoric followed with action the whole situation goes out of control,” he underscored.

He also noted that Prime Minister Vajpayee has made it clear that he is willing to wait for some time to pass to get some reaction from Pakistani government and that the Pakistan government is taking some steps now.

“What we don’t want to do is allow the rhetoric to get so racheted up that the whole situation goes out of control.”