ISLAMABAD, March 7: President Gen Pervez Musharraf said on Thursday that continued presence of troops on borders could aggravate the situation and as such was a threat to peace.

“When both sides have the potential to indulge in adventurism then anything can happen. Therefore, we need to withdraw our forces from the borders,” he added.

Answering questions from Indian journalists after having inaugurated the 2nd conference of Saarc information ministers, the president stressed the need for de-escalation.

Asked how tension could be removed, he said it could be removed if both India and Pakistan decided to pull their troops back from borders. “This can be done through mutual understanding,” he said, adding there was a need to remove the root cause of the problems between the two countries.

In reply to another question, the president said that the status quo cannot be eliminated artificially and that it required taking timely decisions. “There is a need to stop blaming each other ... there is a need to remove hatred and political disharmony”.

He told a reporter that both sides cannot proceed further towards improving relations unless they decided to resolve their old disputes.

Asked about Daniel Pearl, the president remarked that the American journalist should not have tried to be over-inquisitive to obtaining certain information. “The lesson we have is that we should be careful and journalists should perform their duties by being very careful”.

He, however, said the government was making it sure that journalists enjoyed all the freedom they needed to carry out their professional duties without any problem.

He said the government had not yet decided anything about Ahmed Omar Saeed Shaikh, the main suspect involved in the kidnapping of Daniel Pearl. He said everything was being examined whether to try Omar in Pakistan or he be extradited to the United States.

An Indian journalist complained that media practitioners from his country were not being issued visas by the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi. At this stage, a Pakistani reporter stood up and said that he, too, had been denied a visa by the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad to visit New Delhi.

“I think both sides need to look into the issue and help journalists to visit each other’s country and create harmony,” the president said.

He said he welcomed the Indians media to come to Pakistan and talk to him and other people and added that his government was ready to talk on all issues to remove differences between the two sides.

The president said he himself had faced inconvenience when visited Nepal for the Saarc summit in January. “I agree with you that there is a need to remove ban on flights.”

Asked whether he was ready to meet Indian Information Minister Sushma Swaraj, Gen Musharraf said he had no inhibition to meet her but added, “I am just leaving for Karachi according to a schedule earlier worked out”.

However, he said, he would have an opportunity to meet her at tea after the conference.