ISLAMABAD, May 30: President Gen Pervez Musharraf said on Thursday that Pakistan was seriously considering withdrawing troops from anti-terrorist operations on the western borders for their deployment to eastern borders.

“We have not yet moved the troops but we have actually stalled the process of inducting them deep on the western borders,” President Musharraf told a press conference.

“For Pakistan the first priority is its own security and nobody should grudge that,” the president said in reply to a question.

At the joint press conference held with Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov and Interim Afghanistan Administration Chairman Hamid Karzai following the signing of a gas pipeline agreement, almost all the questions asked by the foreign correspondents pertained to the India-Pakistan stand-off.

Gen Musharraf said that if the tensions with India remained as high as it was of today then the troops would certainly be moved towards the eastern borders.

If the country’s security was endangered and there was a threat of aggression then all the resource would be mobilized to face the threat, he said.

“All that I can do is to give an assurance not to initiate a conflict,” he said in reply to a question. Answering a question about the visit of British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw to India and Pakistan, President Musharraf said he viewed it as a third party mediation.

President Musharraf said he had not received any feedback about Mr Straw’s meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh but termed his own discussion with Mr Straw “frank and open”.

He said Pakistan had been pursuing the policy of encouraging any diplomatic initiative for defusing tensions.

When a reporter asked what message he would like to convey to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, the president said war would cause destruction on both sides. “Being a soldier, I can understand the miseries a war would cause.”

He further said that his message for the Indian prime minister would be that war should be avoided.

Answering a question, Mr Karzai called for a dialogue between Islamabad and New Delhi for resolution of all issues. “Our desire is peace and cooperation between the two countries.”

He said the elements whipping up war hysteria in the region should come to Kabul to see the destruction it could cause.

President Musharraf said that at the summit he had called upon Mr Karzai and Mr Niyazov to use their influence with India for a resumption of dialogue.

Pakistan, the president said, condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

TROOPS MOVED: Pakistan has moved some troops from the western border to its eastern border with India, adds AFP quoting a statement issued by the military authorities on Thursday.

“A contingent of Pakistan troops commenced its movement from the western border to reinforce Pakistan troops deployed along the eastern border,” the statement said.

The shift was made “in view of the adverse posture of the Indian armed forces,” it added.