Pak seeks to bring down tension

NEW DELHI: Pakistan's democratic government made conciliatory noises to bring down escalating tension with India at a time when relations between the two countries have  dipped to a new low. The international community has asked both governments to be restrained and ensure that the two nuclear armed neighbours do not go to war.

Washington has been urging for moderation and said it was monitoring the situation in the region. "We also do not want either side to take any unnecessary steps that raise tensions in an already tense situation,"  White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.

The Chinese and Saudi Arabia have called for restraint. Both President Asif Zardari and  Prime Minsiter Yousaf Raza Gilani spoke peace as well. "Pakistan does not want war. We do not talk about war and vengeance as the whole region will suffer," said Zardari. He went on to add, "Non-state actors are forcing an agenda on us and falling victim to them will cause instability." The President has been talking about non state actors since the Mumbai carnage and pointing out that Pakistan too was a victim of terrorism.

The Prime Minister was more explicit : “I assure you once again that we will not act. We will only react,” Gilani said in a live address on state television.