May 24, 2002	Friday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 11,1423

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ISLAMABAD, May 23: Pakistan is not asking the United States to vacate military bases due to increasing threats of war with India, said Minister for Information Nisar Memon.

“Pakistan is fully cooperating with the United States against terrorism and we have not asked the Americans to vacate our military bases”, he further stated.

Briefing reporters here on Thursday after having visited border areas near Sialkot he, however, said that Pakistan has decided to call back its one brigade of peace-keeping forces from Sierra Leone due to increasing threats of war and hostile statements of the Indian leaders.

Responding to a question, he said that Pakistan might remove its troops from the western borders, “but it will affect our coalition partners who are engaged in fighting against terrorism”.

Asked about the chances of war, the minister for information said this question should be asked from the Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee who was using the threatening language against Pakistan.

“We are not for war and our forces are only returning the fire of the Indians on Kashmir border”, he said adding that the intentions of the Indians were to harm Pakistan. “We have not forgotten the creation of Bangladesh by the Indians”, Memon said adding that Pakistan was calling for dialogue to resolve all issues between the two countries through peaceful means.

When reminded that Mr Vajpayee on Thursday changed his tone and did not, like Wednesday, talk about decisive war against Pakistan, he said: “if that is the case then we are welcoming it”.

The minister for information said that Pakistan was trying to explain the world through its foreign missions abroad that India was bent upon starting a war and the international community should use its influence against New Delhi to de-escalate the situation.