Katmandu, Nepal — The leaders of India and Pakistan said they were trying to avert war as they headed to a regional summit today, but despite world pressure Indian officials insisted they would not use the gathering to talk peace.
Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf will meet at the Nepal gathering for the first time since a failed summit in July. However, India's delegation said there will be no one-on-one talks until they are satisfied Pakistan has cracked down on Islamic militants.
Despite an apparent easing of tensions, the armies from the nuclear-armed rivals remain on alert, and violence continued in the disputed province of Kashmir, the catalyst for two wars and the breakdown of their July talks.
Indian and Pakistani troops traded gunfire overnight and Islamic militants in Pakistan reportedly threatened more attacks in Kashmir. Both sides claim the divided Himalayan province in its entirety.
Vajpayee said Thursday that diplomacy could avert another war, and his foreign minister, Jaswant Singh, made India's first positive comments about Pakistan's recent moves against Islamic militant groups based in the country.
The latest round of hostilities erupted after a Dec. 13 suicide attack on India's Parliament that New Delhi blamed on militants based in Pakistan. Indian officials demanded Pakistan arrest the militants' leaders and the nations massed troops along their 1,100-mile border.
"Pakistan wants peace and de-escalation," Musharraf said Thursday. But he warned in comments to his military commanders and Cabinet, "Should a mistake of attacking Pakistan be made, they would regret their decision."
In China, where he stopped en route to Nepal, Musharraf told Premier Zhu Rongji that Pakistan "wants to soothe the current tense situation through dialogue," the official Xinhua News Agency reported.
Vajpayee also held out hope for a peaceful solution.
"Efforts are being made to avoid war through diplomatic channels. If that succeeds, there will be no need to opt for other alternatives," he said.
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