The fallout of the Mumbai holocaust has snowballed into a situation beyond diplomatic standoff between India and Pakistan. It has not only clamped a sudden breakdown of the ongoing peace process effecting South Asia as a whole but also escalated the security of the entire region to a highly dangerous nuclear tipping point. With the introduction of missiles and weapons of all sorts in the arsenals of India and Pakistan, the security environment has completely changed since the wars of 1965 and 1971 between the two countries. No wonder therefore that the latest outbursts at the highest official level in New Delhi declaring the use of "all options against Pakistan" has caused concern in major world capitals. Even the UNSC has been drawn in. A unanimous resolution was passed applying certain sanctions against non-state organisations in Pakistan and some individuals said to be promoting terrorism. India provided a list of wanted individuals in connection with the Mumbai attacks urging Pakistan to take immediate action to dismantle terrorists training camps on its soil without identifying their location and providing evidence with regard to the related allegations. So alarming has been the nature of the Indian threats that the US secretary of state and other senior officials virtually rushed to Islamabad to avert, what appeared to be an imminent threat of a series of surgical strikes in Azad Kashmir and other selected targets in Pakistan. The US chairman joint chiefs of staff followed suit to hold urgent meetings with Pakistan's army chief and the PM as well as President Zardari to gauge Pakistan's response against such a venture by India. The British PM made a similar personal dash to Islamabad with the same purpose. Pakistan's response was unambiguous and crystal clear. Any attack, even in the form of a single surgical strike in Azad Kashmir or any part of Pakistan "shall be treated as declaration of a war against the country." In spite of the warning by Islamabad, it is not without a purpose that New Delhi continues to beat the war drums against Pakistan on all world forums including the massive media campaign accusing Pakistan without sharing whatever evidence it alleges to posses in respect of Islamabad's involvement. Considering USA's main role in the ongoing war against terrorism and the present grave situation in the tribal belt bordering Afghanistan as well as the dangers posed by the Taliban and Al-Qaeda against the US/NATO forces in Afghanistan; it was natural that Washington should put its whole weight against any breakout of hostility between the two nuclear neighbours in the region. Yet no such endeavour has been made visible which is rather strange. The attitude of the Bush administration gives rise to the growing suspicion in many quarters that apart from other geo-political strategic goals in our region, the nuclear capability of Pakistan is a major threat to India as well as Israel and therefore Washington is under great pressure to denuclearise Pakistan. A campaign is therefore underway to paint a dark picture of Pakistan's nuclear arsenals being in unsafe hands and that its falling into the hands of extremists cannot be ruled out. It is therefore imperative that Washington should take urgent and concrete steps to remove such a perception. The internal threat facing Pakistan has three major dimensions. Briefly they comprise the following: ? The elements trying to destabilise Pakistan, and many of them that are engaged in this unholy endeavour since the birth of Pakistan shall further escalate their efforts through acts of terrorism and lawlessness. The results can be disastrous involving the law enforcing agencies in all the four provinces. The worst contingency can be calling of the armed forces in aid of evil power. ? Creating a rift between the people and the armed forces on the one hand and between the leadership of the armed forces and civil government on the other hand. This can damage the democratic process which is still in the process of finding roots after the recent elections in February 2008. ? Differences of approach and policies in a democratic form of government are only natural. The party in power at the centre in Islamabad and coalition governments in the provinces are doing well. Any confrontation or challenging the authority of the government and the Parliament at the centre or in the provinces particularly the major province of the Punjab, at the present critical juncture can do more harm than any external threat. The only remedy against the gathering storm, both external as well as internal lies in rallying the nation under Quaid-i-Azam's call of Unity Faith and Discipline. The writer is the president of the Pakistan National Forum E-mail: ikramullah@nation.com.pk