January 02, 2009	Friday	Muharram 04, 1430

ISLAMABAD, Jan 1: Pakistan would not accept any political or military coercion from India and it was ready to defend itself, the Foreign Office said on Thursday.

“It will be unfortunate if a military confrontation takes place. A war or any level of military confrontation can have disastrous consequences for the region,” spokesman Mohammad Sadiq said in an online briefing.

He said Pakistan would counsel restraint and an attitude of responsibility.

The statement came as Pakistan prepared to offer new proposals for defusing the tension between the two countries. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi is expected to offer the proposals on Friday or Saturday.

Earlier, Mr Qureshi urged India to deactivate its forward bases and withdraw troops to peace-time positions.

Indian External Affairs Minister Mr Pranab Mukherjee rejected the de-escalation call, saying “We have not done anything to escalate tension. So where is the question of de-escalating it?”

Mr Sadiq said: “Pakistan has sincerely offered its cooperation in investigating the Mumbai tragedy. We await response to our concrete proposals regarding joint investigations and a high-level visit. We also await evidence from India to enable our own investigations to make progress.”

He said the fight against the “pernicious phenomenon” of terrorism required international cooperation at every level.

The spokesman rejected allegations against Inter-Services Intelligence agency and said Pakistan’s government and state institutions were committed to the ‘war against terror’.

“Therefore, vilifying Pakistan or, for that matter, any of its state institutions on this score is unwarranted and unacceptable.”

Mr Sadiq suggested that instead of pointing fingers at the ISI, a “more accurate alignment in the perception and interests of Afghanistan, Pakistan, US/Nato and countries in the region that have stakes in the struggle against terrorism” was required.

Such an approach, he said, would help dispel mutual misgivings among the countries engaged in the war on terror and would also be helpful in winning it.

He said Pakistan had enhanced its engagement with all stakeholders in the war on terror.

The spokesman again invited India to resume ‘composite dialogue’. He said Pakistan believed that sustained engagement and dialogue was necessary to allay each other’s concerns. “Breakdown of dialogue only works to the advantage of terrorists.”