German official quotes NSA as saying that India not planning to declare war on Pakistan

New Delhi, Dec.5 : A senior adviser on foreign affairs to German Chancellor Angela Merkel has quoted India's National Security Advisor, M.K. Narayanan, as saying that India has no intention of declaring war against Pakistan in the wake of last week's terror attacks in Mumbai.

Pakistan's private television channel ARY quoted Christoph Heusgen, Foreign Policy and Security Advisor to Merkel as telling the Pakistan Prime Minister's Office over phone on Thursday that Narayanan had told him that "India neither had declared nor had any intention of declaring war against Pakistan".

A statement issued by the Prime Minister's House said German Chancellor Angela Merkel had directed Heusgen to contact Narayanan to "urge restraint and lowering of the ante against Pakistan in the interest of peace and security of the region".

Heusgen said Narayanan had "refuted the perception about the possibility of imminent armed conflict with Pakistan".

While conveying the Indian government's view that the perpetrators of Mumbai terrorist attacks apparently had external linkages, Narayanan reportedly assured Heusgen that India "only wanted unequivocal cooperation of the Government of Pakistan for thorough investigation of the Mumbai incidents", the statement said.

Heusgen said Merkel intended to talk to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh soon "to urge lowering (of) tensions between the two countries".

When the office of the National Security Advisor in New Delhi was contacted for a verification of Narayanan's response, it refused to comment. It also said that Mr. Narayanan was out of office attending a meeting.

ANI