ISLAMABAD, May 28: Pakistan on Tuesday said it regretted India’s reaction to President Musharraf’s national address which was delivered amid rising tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals.

“The government of Pakistan regrets the reaction,” the foreign ministry said in a statement after the speech.

Pakistan lashed out at India’s rejection of the president’s contention that there was no infiltration of militants across the Line of Control (LoC), saying New Delhi’s comments were “baseless”.

“If India is so concerned about the so-called cross-LoC infiltration, it should accept Pakistan’s oft-repeated proposal for strengthening the (United Nations presence) or posting

of independent observers,” it said.

Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh accused President Musharraf of making nuclear threats in the speech and said his comments were “disappointing and dangerous” and had added to tensions.

However, the Pakistani foreign ministry accused India of adding to the war hysteria with its reaction to a series of attacks, including a bloody assault on its parliament in December.

“Mr Jaswant Singh would do well to remember that the prevailing tension in Pakistan-Indian relations is a consequence of the many ill-advised and escalatory steps by the Indian government since December last year, in particular the massing of forces on Pakistan’s borders,” it said.

“The intemperate and shrill statements by its leaders have also served to heighten tensions between the two countries.”

—AFP