ISLAMABAD, Dec 1: Islamabad on Sunday warned New Delhi against war-mongering after Indian Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani challenged Pakistan to drop its alleged support for the freedom struggle in Kashmir or fight another war.

“No one in India should live under the illusion that a self-respecting nation like Pakistan can be cowed down by any amount of intimidation and coercion,” Information Minister Sheikh Rashid told AFP.

“It is unfortunate that Advani has again started beating the war drums. He should be aware that although Pakistan does not want any conflict, it is fully prepared and has all the means and capabilities to give a crushing reply to any misadventure by India.”

Advani, addressing a pre-election campaign rally in Gujarat on Saturday, said that a fully-fledged war was preferable to recurring “terror attacks” in India.

“Let us fight it out face-to-face. We have fought thrice, let there be a fourth war,” he said.

He insisted that Pakistan was fighting a “proxy war” in occupied Kashmir by arming and training freedom fighters.

Pakistan denies sponsoring the militants and insists that it only offers moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmiris’ struggle against Indian occupation.

Sheikh Rashid said Advani had long sabotaged relations between the neighbouring countries.

“Advani has always been at the forefront of sinister machinations designed to wreck all prospects for improvement of relations between India and Pakistan,” he said.—AFP