ISLAMABAD, Feb 25: A government spokesman said on Monday, Pakistan has already taken “a series of steps” to curb extremism and combat terrorism, and its bold resolve has already won acclaim internationally.

He was refuting a policy statement given earlier in the day in New Delhi by Indian President KR Narayanan in which he had stated that India would not de-escalate on the border with Pakistan, and that dialogue and terrorism could not go side by side.

“It’s amusing to hear from India that Pakistan has done nothing to warrant de-escalation at the border,” the spokesman said.

“Pakistan wants lessening of tension, but the ball is now in the Indian court”, he added.

The spokesman referred to a number of measures taken by the Pakistani government to check extremism in the country and its bold stand on curbing of international terrorism in Afghanistan.

He also referred to President Pervez Musharraf’s Jan-12 address to the nation as well as his subsequent observations in which he had reiterated the firm resolve of Islamabad to curb terrorism, and check tendencies of extremism.

In the address, the spokesman said, the president had banned five extremist groups, and initiated a nation-wide crackdown that led to the arrest of around 2,000 alleged religious extremists.—APP