ISLAMABAD, Dec 17: The Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad conveyed on behalf of his government on Wednesday a categorical assurance to the government of Pakistan that it had no intention of taking any military action in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on Mumbai.

This message was delivered by the high commissioner, Mr Satyabrata Pal, during a meeting with Awami National Party president Asfandyar Wali Khan in Islamabad.

A press release issued by ANP’s information secretary Zahid Khan said: “The Indian army remains, as it is, in their peace position and no troop movement towards the Indian-Pakistani borders or LoC was being contemplated.”

Mr Pal also recalled the Indian troops’ movement in the year 2002 in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the Indian parliament and said that “it is not the case now”.

He said that the Indian government was satisfied from day one that the civilian government in Pakistan was not involved in the Mumbai attack. He emphasised mutual cooperation to fight terrorism in the region because both the countries were equally suffering from the menace.

He also denied that any telephone call had been made from the ministry of foreign affairs threatening a war against Pakistan.

He said that during the past 61 years a call had never been made by any Indian minister to the president or prime minister of Pakistan as it would be against the norms of protocol.

The Indian high commissioner requested Mr Asfandyar to personally convey the message to President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

During the meeting Mr Pal inquired after the health of the ANP chief and discussed with him the situation in the region with particular reference to the Mumbai attacks. He agreed that certain elements were bent upon derailing the peace process and rapprochement between the two countries.

Mr Asfandyar said that two generations on both sides of the divide had been indoctrinated to consider each other as enemies and apprehensions are so deeply rooted that even a minor act of terrorism could cause to reverse the process of friendship.