Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday described the Indian Army chief's remarks about the possibility of a limited war under a nuclear overhang as "irresponsible" and said outstanding issues could only be resolved through dialogue.
Gilani made the remarks while interacting with the media before embarking on a four-day official visit to Germany and Britain.
He was responding to a question about Indian Army chief Gen Deepak Kapoor's recent comment that "a limited war under a nuclear overhang is still very much a reality in the Indian subcontinent".
Dialogue is the only solution for outstanding issues between Pakistan and India, including Kashmir, and India is aware of this, he said.
"Such statements are irresponsible," he added.
"We should not let our relations be held hostage by the Mumbai incident. We have to move forward. The only way forward is the composite dialogue with India," Gilani said.
"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh too has the intention of resuming the composite dialogue. We are trying to create a friendly environment so that the composite dialogue can move forward," he said.
Singh has "agreed to resolve all core issues, including Kashmir," he added.
Responding to a question about British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's demand for Pakistan to take tougher action against al Qaida and help track Osama bin Laden, Gilani said it appears to be "out-of-context".
"On one hand, the world community, including Britain, praises Pakistan's efforts in the war on terror while on the other hand, they ask for more... If they ask to do more, it seems an out-of-context thing".
He said Pakistan had rendered more sacrifices than members of NATO in the war on terror.
He described Germany as a key economic partner of Pakistan and said his visit will help boost ties between the two countries.
The premier will exchange views on bilateral ties and global and regional matters with the top leadership of Germany and Britain.
While in Germany, Gilani will meet President Horst Kohler and Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Gilani is accompanied by a high-ranking ministerial delegation that includes Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. PTI
