Let there be war with Pakistan: Uddhav Thackeray

"Let there be a fourth war between India and Pakistan to teach them a lesson," Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said Friday.

Pakistan has thrice been taught a lesson in past wars, but that has not had a deterrent effect on that country so it needs to be taught a lesson again, Thackeray said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana' Friday.

The Shiv Sena chief's editorial was published against the backdrop of the recent comments by Pakistan Prime Nawaz Sharif on the possibility of war between the nuclear-armed neighbours if the Kashmir issue was not resolved - which was later denied.

Thackeray praised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his prompt response to Sharif's outburst and said "every Indian feels proud".

"Till I am alive, it will be impossible for Pakistan to win any war," Thackeray quoted the prime minister as saying.

Manmohan Singh was responding to Sharif's outburst that "it was his dream to resolve the Kashmir issue during his lifetime".

Sharif was also reported to have warned that the Kashmir problem must be resolved before the two nuclear powers go to war over it.

Later, the Pakistani Prime Minister's Office denied the statement, which was widely carried in that country's media, including The Dawn newsdaily, Thackeray said.

"Pakistan only understands such tough language (of war). After its hat-trick of losses, if it has still not learnt a lesson, let there be a fourth war," he said.

According to him, a fourth all-out war would be a better option than Pakistan killing Indian soldiers on the sly, referring to the recent incidents when some Indian soldiers were martyred by Pakistani soldiers.

However, Thackeray warned that if a fourth war breaks out, Pakistan would be wiped off the global map and India would even re-capture the Pakistan-occupied areas of Kashmir.