Indian prime minister says war can be avoided

The Indian Prime Minister says war with Pakistan can be avoided if the nuclear-armed rivals can solve their differences through diplomacy.

But he says Pakistan needs to prove it is serious about cracking down on terrorism.

Vajpayee spoke out before leaving for a South Asia summit in the Nepalese capital of Katmandu.

It will also will be attended by Pakistan's president General Pervez Musharraf.

He said: "War is not a must. Efforts are being made to avoid war through diplomatic channels. If that succeeds, there will be no need to opt for other alternatives."

But Vajpayee said he has no plans to meet with Musharraf in Nepal because he wants to first see an end to terrorism in the dispute over Kashmir, which is held two-thirds by India and one-third by Pakistan.

"We are not against talks, but cross-border terrorism must end to create an atmosphere for dialogue," Vajpayee said.

India has said Pakistan has thus far not shown it is willing to go far enough in stopping two militant Islamic groups blamed for terrorist acts, including a deadly assault last month on India's Parliament.

The two groups, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, say Pakistani authorities have arrested about 50 of their followers and Pakistani officials say they have arrested leaders of both groups.

But Vajpayee said: "Pakistan must inform us about the steps taken, how many arrested, who they are, how many are related to the attacks on the Indian Parliament".

India has said Pakistan's spy agency helped the militants who attacked the Parliament a charge denied by Pakistan.