NEW DELHI, Nov 16: Nuclear war was too horrendous a thought to be an option for any country and India does not foresee such a calamity befalling it despite troubled relations with Pakistan , India's National Security Advisor Jyotindra Nath Dixit said in an interview on Sunday.

Mr Dixit told Tehelka weekly newspaper that he was only a messenger in the nuclear chain of command which was headed by the prime minister. "But to answer your question, we don't visualise that kind of a scenario in which we will have to reach for the button. Accordingly, we are actively engaged in negotiations on nuclear risk reduction."

Asked to comment on Pakistan's nuclear doctrine which does not preclude the option of a first strike, Mr. Dixit said: "Any resort to nuclear weapons is horrendous and it's a rational presumption that we would not reach a stage where we have a nuclear war. On this front, I must add that our talks with Pakistan are progressing as well as they can."-JN