Indian Attack on Pak Likely to Harm US Troops

"The physical presence of U.S. troops in certain parts of Pakistan... is not an inhibiting factor in policy determination," he said when asked if India was not taking action against Pakistan because of the presence of U.S. troops.

Singh was addressing a news conference in response to Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's televised address on Monday.

Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was expected on Tuesday to convene his security cabinet after ending a brief holiday at a hill station in northern India.

Ahead of the meeting, Defence Minister George Fernandes held talks with the chiefs of the army, navy and the air force to take stock of defence preparations in the face of rising tensions with Pakistan, reports said citing Indian officials.

Earlier, President Pervez Musharraf said on Tuesday he was ready to take steps to ease tensions between his country and India, the Jiji news agency quoted him as telling Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi by telephone.

Koizumi told Musharraf to exercise restraint, and the Pakistani leader replied by asking Tokyo to tell India to do the same, Jiji said.

Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw Tuesday called on Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar. According to a source both discussed the current Indo-Pak tension in detail.