Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee vowed today to stamp out Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism, but said New Delhi would do its utmost to avoid war with its neighbour.
"Our objective is to put an end to Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism... We shall use all the means and resources at India's command to achieve this objective," Mr Vajpayee told a convention of his Bharatiya Janata Party, which heads the ruling federal coalition.
Mr Vajpayee said India would not come under external pressure to dilute its struggle against terrorism and added that if necessary, it would fight this battle on its own.
Relations between the two nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours have worsened after a suicide attack on India's parliament on December 13, which New Delhi blames on two Pakistan-based militant groups fighting its rule in Kashmir.
Both countries have massed troops and weapons along their borders and have traded tit-for-tat sanctions, prompting calls for restraint from around the world, notably the United States.