ISLAMABAD, Dec 28: Pakistan “stands for peace” and will never initiate a war, President Gen Pervez Musharraf said Friday as tensions rose with neighbouring India.

“Pakistan is passing through a difficult stage. There is tension on the border,” Musharraf told a dinner at the presidential palace.

“Pakistan stands for peace, we do not want war. We will never initiate a war unless it is thrust on us.

“We do not want war because we understand all the hazards that could follow,” he said.

Musharraf said he was aware of India’s demands and understood what Pakistan had to do to defuse the tensions.

“We understand our responsibilities. We are to crack down and we do understand that,” he said.

He also welcomed intervention from the United States in trying to defuse the brewing crisis between the two neighbours.

“They are showing a lot of concern and I know they are involved, certainly they are already involved and they are trying to reduce the tension and we appreciate that.”

Afghan border: Pakistan will not shift troops from the Afghan border to reinforce its frontier with India despite rising tensions there, President Gen Pervez Musharraf said on Friday.

“Whatever we are doing on that Afghan border will continue to be done. There will be no thinning out... no change to that situation,” he told reporters.—AFP