UN secretary general calls up Zardari, discusses regional situation

Lahore, Dec.4 : UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon telephoned President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday to discuss "the latest regional situation" and "other matters of mutual interest".

The Daily Times quoted a private TV channel as saying that Zardari also discussed with the UN secretary general last week's terrorist attacks in Mumbai, and the rising tensions between India and Pakistan.

The state-run APP news agency said in a brief report that Zardari and Ban Ki-moon discussed "the regional situation", but did not elaborate.

Last week, Moon said: "Such violence (in Mumbai) is totally unacceptable."

Zardari on the other hand has maintained that the terror strike was the work of non-state actors.

In an interview to CNN's Larry King Live on Tuesday, he sought to reassure India and the world that he and his civilian government was not part or privy to the terror attack on Mumbai, and they wanted peace with India.

He insisted the terror attack was the work of "stateless actors who are holding hostage the whole world."

"So, we should all rise above it. I expect the Indian democracy which is senior, which is an older democracy, mature democracy, I expect them to rise above this pain and the loss that they have had and come together with us to fight terrorism in the region," Zardari said.

He has also said that sabre rattling by India will not have an effect on Pakistan, and added that there is no question of meeting New Delhi's demand for the handing over of 20 suspect terrorists that it has listed.

ANI