By KUNA,
Islamabad : The last week’s threats of possible Pakistan-India war were caused by a hoax call to Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari by someone impersonating the Indian foreign minister, said reports here on Saturday.
Nuclear-armed Pakistan went into a state of “high alert” last weekend and was eyeing India for possible signs of military aggression, after a threatening phone call was made to Zardari by someone from Delhi who posed himself as the Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, reported the English daily “Dawn,” citing several political, diplomatic and security sources.
Whether it was mere mischief or a sinister move by someone in the Indian External Affairs Ministry, or the call came from within Pakistan, remains unclear, and is still a matter of investigation.
Sources said that for nearly 24 hours over the weekend the incident continued to send jitters across the world. To some world leaders the probability of an accidental war appeared very high.
It all started late on Friday, November 28, when some senior members of the presidential staff bypassed the standard procedures meant for such occasions and transferred the late-evening call to President Zardari from a caller introducing himself as Pranab Mukherjee.
As the telephone call ended many in the Presidency were convinced that the Indians had started beating the war drums. Within no time, intense diplomatic and security activity started in Islamabad and forces were put on highest alert.
Since the Mumbai terrorist attacks, there is renewed escalation of tense ties between the two nuclear archrivals, where the continuous exchange of accusations has led to a suspension of the bilateral peace dialogue process.