Islamabad: As mutually expelled diplomats of India and Pakistan returned home, Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri accused Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of trying to increase tension in the region in order to make Pakistan its main election plank in the forthcoming polls in various Indian states.

"BJP leaders believe that confrontation with Pakistan has helped them win the elections in Gujarat and have raised temperature again to sweep the polls in other states," Kasuri, who recently returned home after a long tour of the US, told reporters in Lahore on February 10.

Describing the militancy in Kashmir as "freedom movement", he said India made "all- out efforts" to get it branded as terrorism in the world community.

He alleged that New Delhi was exploiting the situation created by the September 11 attacks in the US in order to "discredit" Pakistan.

But, he said, during his visit to US, he told American authorities that India was not a victim of terrorism.

Kasuri said Pakistan wanted peace in the region and was eager to resume a composite dialogue with India.

He said Islamabad had already given a number of proposals to make the region free of nuclear weapons, and called on the US and the international community to play a role to de-escalate tension in the region.

PTI