ISLAMABAD, May 20: Pakistan on Monday said that the international community, despite some setbacks in its recent efforts, was working for de-escalation of tension with greater vigour and pressing both sides to come to the negotiating table.

At his weekly briefing, foreign ministry spokesman Aziz Ahmad Khan averred that the international community was fully cognizant of the seriousness of the heightening tension.

Owing to the international diplomacy coupled with the reinforced efforts by the United Nations, he said Islamabad hoped that Delhi would see reason and resume dialogue on all contentious issues and disputes.

In reply to suggestions from reporters to “press” the United States to compel India for reducing tension and withdrawing troops from borders, the spokesman pointed out that the recent visit by Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca was basically aimed at securing de-escalation in tension and gradual withdrawal of forces from borders. The spokesman further said that Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage would also visit the region soon for the same purpose.

He said that Pakistani ambassador in the United Nations had been keeping the world body and its secretary-general as well as the president of the Security Council abreast of the developments in the worsening South Asian scenario.

The spokesman advised the reporters to refer their questions about the war-like situation on the Line of Control to the ISPR, but he confirmed that heavy guns were exchanging fire for the last few days.

In reply to a question whether troop engagement on borders with Afghanistan at the time of the heightened activity on the eastern border was desirable, the spokesman said the government was fully alive to the security requirements and emphasized that the defence forces were capable of meeting any eventuality. Pakistan, he said, would continue to play its role in the fight against terrorism on the Afghanistan front.

Referring to Indian allegations of cross-border movement between the divided parts of Jammu and Kashmir, the spokesman recalled that Pakistan had offered deployment of independent international monitors on both sides of the Line of Control to confirm the Indian allegations but, he added, New Delhi had declined to accept the offer.

As regards a recent statement of Chris Patten, European Union’s external affairs chairman, suggesting that referendum was a deviation from the road-map given out for Pakistan’s return to democracy, the spokesman said that Mr Patten was perhaps not fully briefed on the referendum issue. In fact, he asserted, referendum had reinforced the president’s resolve to restore democracy.

Asked for comments on an APC’s call for the installation of an interim setup composed of all parties to meet the mounting Indian challenge, the spokesman said it was not for the foreign ministry to respond to internal issues. He, however, added that the present government had been functioning “very well and properly” and was cognizant of what is required of it. He hoped that political parties would extend “solid support” to the government in this hour of national crisis.

The spokesman said that as of now he was not aware of any change in the scheduled meeting of the Indus basin commissioners of Pakistan and India on May 29. However, he said, in case the meeting could not be held as stipulated once every year, the Indus Basin Treaty provided means to redress. He pointed out that the treaty was a bilateral agreement and guaranteed by international guarantors.