REJECTING the two point proposal for de-escalation from Pakistan, Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said India has made no deployment and therefore there is no question of withdrawal. According to him, the troops concentration along the international border is part of the normal winter exercises. He has accused Pakistan of war hysteria to deflect attention from the issue of Mumbai attacks and demanded that Pakistan dismantle what he called terrorist camps "estimated to be over 30" along the border. What former Republican Presidential candidate Senator John McCain has said in a newspaper interview also strengthens the perception that peace cannot be taken for granted. He has warned that India is on the verge of carrying out air raids on alleged terrorist camps inside Pakistan. Expression of concern by friendly countries like China, which continue to press for reduction of tension also indicates that despite Indian assurances, a sudden increase in tension cannot be ruled out. New Delhi has worked hard to convince Pakistan's allies and friends that the Mumbai attackers had originated from Pakistan. Whether one likes it or not, both Washington and London seem to have accepted the Indian claim. In separate statements, Secretary Rice and Prime Minister Brown have accused LeT of being behind the attacks. However, neither the US nor Britain has held Pakistan government to be involved in the matter. India has also tried to play on the fears of Pakistan's traditional friends like China, Saudi Arabia and Iran, which continue to be targeted by terrorists and are working hard to hunt them out. While they have opposed Indian moves to raise the ante, they have called on Pakistan to conduct a joint investigation with India or have supported an international probe. While on a visit to Pakistan Chinese Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei advised both countries to show restraint and cooperate with each other in the investigation. Similarly while in New Delhi last week, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal called terrorism "a cancer we need to cut out" and called on the UN to set up an international body to deal with Mumbai-like terror attacks. Pakistan should do whatever it can to allay the apprehensions of its friends and allies. It should call on India to provide evidence it claims it has at its disposal and hold a thorough and transparent enquiry on its own even if New Delhi is unwilling to join it. Once Pakistan's allies and friends are satisfied, India will have no option but to seek peace or be isolated.