ISLAMABAD, Dec 30: Pakistan wants to defuse tension and resolve all issues with India through talks, said Foreign Office Spokesman Aziz Ahmad Khan.

In an interview to BBC Radio Saturday, he said: “We want to cool down the situation and resolve all issues with India through talks.”

Pakistan is capable of thwarting every kind of aggression, he said.

“Unfortunately, India has been escalating the situation from the very beginning,” he added.

He said India reduced the level of diplomatic relations by recalling its High Commissioner. It also brought about fifty per cent reduction in the strength of the High Commission.

Moreover, India stopped the bus and train services and flights. It also deployed its forces on forward positions, escalating the tensions further, he added.

Aziz said: “We want that all the troops and aircraft that are now at the forward positions be withdrawn to the peacetime position. We want the atmosphere to be made conducive so that the issues could be resolved through dialogue.”

To a question whether possibilities exist to avert the war, he said: “We, on our part, are trying our best to avert war and resolve all the issues peacefully.”

The FO spokesman said: “We have made defensive movements but we say that war is not the proper way.”

“We, on our part, are trying level best and have held talks with the United Nations, OIC and different countries to use their influence and try to improve the environment. We can defend ourselves if war is imposed on us,” he added.

To another question, he said: “Pakistan’s relations with Afghanistan are good.” A high-level delegation of Pakistan, headed by Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar visited Afghanistan and attended the ceremony of induction of the new interim government.

President Gen Pervez Musharraf also sent a message of felicitation to Karzai. “So we are not worried at all from the Afghanistan side,” he added.—APP