ISLAMABAD, Dec 21: The government has been assured by the United States that India will not attack Pakistan as is largely being apprehended these days.

Official sources said here on Friday that President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar had been assured by US Secretary of State Colin Powel on telephone two days ago that India would not attack Pakistan nor would it cross the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir.

The sources said that Pakistan was fully cooperating with the US-led military coalition to hunt down terrorists in Afghanistan and under these circumstances the Bush Administration did not want any problem for Gen Pervez Musharraf.

The sources said that Pakistan side comprehensively briefed the US Secretary of State about the Indian leadership’s recent statements of following a policy of hot pursuits, particularly in Azad Kashmir, to destroy alleged terrorist camps of Jaish-i- Muhammad and Lashkar-i-Taiba.

They said that President Musharraf assured Mr Powel that Pakistan would definitely take action against any party or group provided it was given certain proof of the Dec 13 attack on Indian parliament.

Both the President and the foreign minister have reiterated their offer for a joint investigation to sort out the matter.

The sources said that the Bush Administration was of the view that both India and Pakistan should resolve their differences by talking to each other.

Pakistan has also conveyed to the US government that the Indian government has been besieged by hawks to launch aggression against Pakistan.

“But we have communicated to the US government that in case India commits aggression against us it will find us fully prepared to respond the challenge with full force,” an official concerned said.