UNITED NATIONS, N. Y., Nov. 12—The Pakistani Foreign Secretary, Sultan Mohammad Khan, said today that there is a “virtual state of war” with India along the borders of Pakistan.

He said at a news conference at United Nations headquarters that only “extreme patience and care” by Pakistan had kept this “state of war” from being “expanded.”

Mr. Khan, who is en route to Washington in a world tour in which he has already visited Moscow and Peking, indicated that Pakistan was not planning at this time to ask the Security Council to act.

May Appeal to Council

But he said that an appeal to the Council was under consideration and that “the situation Is developing so rapidly” that it was impossible for him to say what action Pakistan might seek.

The Foreign Secretary said in response to questions that his Government's course would be determined by whether India “continues to escalate” the situation along her frontier with East Pakistan.

It was understood that Pakistan was reluctant to seek intervention by the Security Council out of concern that any strongly worded resolution critical of India's attitudes would be vetoed by the Soviet Union.

Mr. Khan said that India's attitudes had already created “state of war” through “warlike statements” by Indians in high places and by ground military action by Indian forces, including tanks on two occasions, in East Pakistani territory.

“It is a state of war,” he said, “and we pray and hope it will not be expanded in scope.”

Mr. Khan argued that a political settlement in East Pakistan, where West Pakistani soldiers have been trying since last March to crush a separatist movement, was not India's concern. He criticized India bitterly for supporting the East Pakistani rebels.