Musharraf willing to meet with Vajpayee

Pakistan, India urged to stand back from brink

Thousands of villagers along both sides of the border have been ordered to evacuate

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf said Friday that he is willing to meet with Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee during a summit of South Asian nations in Nepal next week.

Speaking at a dinner organized for international journalists and the diplomatic community, Musharraf also said Pakistan would not initiate a war with its nuclear neighbor.

"We are willing (to talk) but they must show willingness," he said. "It's hard to clap with one hand."

Both Musharraf and Vajpayee are expected to attend the Katmandu summit January 4-6, but officials on both sides say there is little chance the two will meet.

India's government also said Friday it will grant Musharraf an exception to its ban on Pakistani airliners entering its air space, allowing Pakistan's president to fly over India en route to the Nepal summit next week.

Pakistan International Airlines, meanwhile, said it will suspend five routes, use Chinese air space for other routes and shut down its offices in India because of that country's action.

VIDEO CNN's Suhasini Haidar reports the U.S. is urging India and Pakistan to reduce the tension between them (December 28) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)   MORE STORIES • U.S. accused of targeting Pakistan    RESOURCES Message Board: India and Pakistan    COUNTRY PROFILE At a glance: India | Pakistan Provided by CountryWatch.com   AUDIO Vijay Dutt, London-based journalist with the Hindustan Times has India's perspective 1.7 MBs / 2 mins 40 secs WAV sound Shahed Sadullah, Journalist with the Daily Jang has Pakistan's perspective 3.3 MB / 5 mins 17 secs WAV sound

India also extended until January 5 the time it had given half of Pakistan's diplomatic corps in New Delhi to leave the country. India announced the sanctions Thursday, originally ordering the diplomats out within 48 hours.

The two nations, perennially at odds since Pakistani independence more than 50 years ago, edged closer to war after a militant attack on India's Parliament this month left 14 people dead.

New Delhi blames the December 13 parliament attack on two Pakistani-based militant groups, which it says are supported by Pakistan's intelligence agency.

Pakistan says it is doing all it can to rein in those responsible, but measures taken so far against the groups have been dismissed by India as merely "cosmetic."

The two countries, the world's newest nuclear powers, have deployed thousands of troops and tons of military hardware to their shared border. On Thursday, both imposed diplomatic and travel sanctions on each other.

International groups urge restraint

The international community is urging the two countries to reduce the tensions to avoid an outbreak of war.

In a statement released in Moscow Friday, foreign ministers from the Group of Eight leading industrial nations called for the two countries to resume political dialogue and urged Pakistan to crack down on terrorist groups operating from within its borders.

The call for dialogue was echoed by the Organization of the Islamic Conference, which also issued a statement urging restraint.

"Resorting to arms and to the use of force will never resolve the problems, but would rather further aggravate hostility... and lead to human, economic and social tragedies of colossal dimension," OIC Secretary General Abdelwahed Belkeziz said.

Both the United States and U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan have urged the two sides to talk out their problems rather than allow their row to descend into open conflict.

Speaking in Washington Thursday, U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Reeker called on the two sides "to continue to act responsibly to avoid a conflict that can have no good result on either side".

Kashmir clashes

Meanwhile, in the disputed territory of Kashmir a series of exchanges of fire was reported overnight Thursday, breaking two days of relative calm in the region.

An Indian official quoted by the Associated Press said forces from both sides fired mortars at each other across the Line of Control for more than five hours.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since they achieved independence from Britain, including two conflicts over ownership of the Muslim majority region of Kashmir.

-- CNN Correspondent Suhasini Haidar and Producers Phil Turner and Syed Naqvi contributed to this report.