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A day after Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee asked Pakistan to decide if it wanted peace or conflict, Islamabad on Wednesday sought to downplay President Gen Pervez Musharraf's outburst against India, saying he was only responding to 'provocative' statements of Indian leaders.
Musharraf's remarks to teach a lesson to India if it indulged in any 'misadventurism' was a 'robust' response to 'provocative' moves and suggestion of hot pursuit by some Indian leaders, foreign office spokesman Riaz Mohammad Khan told reporters in Islamabad.
The president was only responding to the statements from Indian leaders only to reassure Pakistani people, he said.
"Pakistan is for peace. Pakistan certainly hates war. Pakistan is in favour of resumption of dialogue with India. But we have been hearing hostile and threatening noises from important Indian personalities."
"There have been talk of specific actions, proactive moves, even some suggestions of hot pursuit. Naturally in these extraordinary circumstances such hostile noises required robust response to reassure our people. The president has done it and also reaffirmed Pakistan's desire for resumption of dialogue with India," Khan said.
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