WASHINGTON, Dec 29: Pakistan’s decision to redeploy troops from the Afghan to the Indian border appears to have alarmed Washington, forcing Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to telephone President Asif Zardari and Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

“She has made it part of her conversations to note that tensions are already high, that neither side should be taking actions that increase those tensions,” said department spokesman Gordon Duguid while commenting on the telephone calls.

He said Ms Rice had also noted in the talks that Pakistan had “made some positive steps but that these steps need to be continuous, that we need to have both sides work together to find the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks”.

Other US sources told Dawn that while urging India to show restraint, Ms Rice reminded Pakistan that the time had come for Islamabad to catch those responsible for the Mumbai attacks.

The sources said that Pakistan had received some “confessions” that confirmed the involvement of Pakistan-based militants in the Mumbai attacks.

The evidence, the sources said, might force Pakistan to catch at least some of them. “We may see some action soon,” said one source.

Although relations between India and Pakistan began to sour after the Nov 26 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, it was generally believed that the bitterness would not lead to a direct conflict between South Asia’s two nuclear powers.

But Pakistan’s decision to redeploy troops to the Indian border increased concerns in Washington and other world capitals. Pakistani diplomats, while briefing US officials on the move, claimed that Pakistan had noticed “certain developments” on the Indian side of the border that forced it to redeploy troops as it wants to be ready for any possible aggression.

Yet, the US media initially insisted that it was not a serious move and that Pakistan was talking about withdrawing some of its troops from the Afghan border only to involve Washington in its conflict with India.

But on Monday, several US newspapers published reports by their correspondents quoting eyewitnesses who had seen Pakistani troops leaving the Afghan border for redeployment.

On Sunday evening, the Pakistani Embassy in Washington heard from the State Department that Ms Rice wanted to discuss the current situation with President Zardari and the conversation was arranged.