Islamabad: Islamabad on January 27 rejected as "absurd" Defence Minister George Fernandes' remarks that Pakistan would be "erased from the world map" in case of a nuclear attack against India.

"These are absolutely absurd statements which should not be made," Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan told reporters.

"This is unfortunate. There have of late been actions and statements from India which do not help to ease tension," he alleged.

Khan said, "What is required is to talk about peace, talk about friendship, talk about resolution of problems rather than making such threats."

He, however, welcomed US Secretary of State Colin Powell's call at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 26 for India and Pakistan to work together to resolve their disputes.

"Pakistan has consistently been calling for dialogue and Pakistan has made several efforts in this regard," he said.

Fernandes in an interview to BBC World's phone-in programme in Hindi, "Aap ki bath BBC ke sath", warned Pakistan that it would be "erased from the world map", if it uses nuclear weapons against India.

Khan also denied that militants were infiltrating Kashmir from Pakistan, after the US Ambassador Nancy Powell told US business leaders last week that Islamabad must end the use of its territory as a "platform for terrorism'' in Kashmir.

"We have taken all measures to control infiltration ...we have been saying this for the last 14 months that no infiltration is taking place from our side into Kashmir,'' Khan told reporters in Islamabad.

PTI