London: There is little chance of an India-Pakistan war, Asif Ali Zardari, co-chair of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) that heads the country's ruling coalition, has said. Instead, the two countries should focus on areas like cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

"Both of our countries exploded nuclear devices in May 1998. We have now proved to each other and the world that we are firmly in the group of elite countries that have nuclear weapons. We do not have to prove our military prowess anymore," Zardari said.

His address was read out at the two-day Tehelka summit on 'India & Pakistan - Designing A New Future' here on Friday night. "We know now that there is a consensus amongst the political parties of India and Pakistan, a consensus between our military and security establishments that peace must be established," Zardari said.

According to the PPP leader, "we do not need to continue investing in an area that brings little economic return to our peoples and countries". "Let us turn our investment and co-operation towards the peaceful uses of nuclear energy," he added.

"Let us serve our people by bringing peace to our land that we all love," Zardari said. The statements came on the day Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was in India, his first since assuming office in March, for talks on taking the India-Pakistan peace process forward.

Source : IANS