Pakistan and India 'close to war'

Pakistan and India are "very close" to renewed warfare over the disputed territory of Kashmir, a senior diplomat has warned.

Abdul Kader Jaffer, Pakistan's High Commissioner in London, said the international community should be aware of the seriousness of the stand-off and exercise its influence to calm the situation.

He told the BBC the countries are close to war.

He responded: "They are very close. And therefore it is necessary for all our friends to get together, bring sanity where there is total insanity. There is a one million deployment of armed forces on Indian-occupied Kashmir."

Asked whether Pakistan could rule out the use of nuclear weapons, he said: "Well, as you know we were not the first to develop a nuclear weapon, it was India. We had to follow."