ISLAMABAD, Dec 31: A corps commanders conference on Monday reviewed the situation in the region with reference to increased war threats by India.

The Vice Chief of Army Staff, Gen Muhammad Yusaf Khan, presided over the conference instead of President Gen Pervez Musharraf who was busy interacting with important members of the diplomatic community on the fast developing situation.

Sources said the corps commanders were informed about the measures that had been taken to meet any eventually should India launch an attack on the Line of Control or international border.

India, the meeting was told, was increasing the number of troops deployed near Sindh and Punjab borders, beside beefing up buildup along the LoC.

Pakistan, Gen Yusaf said, was not in favour of war and thus it was taking various steps to defuse the situation. He quoted President Musharraf who had urged India to withdraw its forces to peace time locations.

The conference was also briefed about the president’s latest phone talks with the US president, the United Nations secretary-general and the British prime minister.

According to an Inter-Service Public Relations handout, the meeting reviewed the prevalent situation in depth and evaluated the hostile Indian moves posing threat to the security and sovereignty of Pakistan. The conference also reviewed the deployment of Pakistani troops and their state of readiness to defend national frontiers.

The Vice Chief of Army Staff expressed satisfaction over the steps taken by various formations to counter any Indian misadventure along the LoC as well as the international borders. He was confident that “the officers and jawans of Pakistan army imbibed with the spirit of Iman and sacrifice would give a befitting response to any action taken by the enemy”.

All the corps commanders and the Principal Staff Officers attended the conference.

Intelligence officials, sources said, gave their assessment about the chances of war and added there might not be a full-scale war. They, however, added that the country could not be careless from its defence.

Sources said that now when the government had taken enough steps, particularly the arrest of Lashkar-i-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed Ahmad and the president’s pledge to eliminate religious extremists at all costs, there were hopes that clouds of war hovering over the region would be cleared.

All eyes were now set on Saarc summit being held in Kathmandu on Friday to remove the chances of war between the two countries.

Official sources said that Pakistan was taking measures to normalize relations with India. But, they added that Pakistan would not accept any undue Indian demand.

President Musharraf on Monday also attended a special briefing at the PAF headquarters in Islamabad and was informed that PAF was fully ready to take up any assignment and that it had the capability to deliver the goods.