Pakistan peace process 'paused'

India's foreign minister has said there is "a pause" in the peace process with Pakistan following the Mumbai attacks.

However, Pranab Mukherjee, speaking in Indian-administered Kashmir, insisted the attacks were not a "Kashmir issue" and hoped "normalcy" would return.

Earlier Defence Minister AK Antony said India was not planning any military action against Pakistan in response to the Mumbai.

Last month's attacks in the Indian city left more than 170 people dead.

India says militants involved in the attack had Pakistani links.

Pakistan denies any involvement but has promised to co-operate with the Indian investigation. It has been under tremendous Indian and American pressure to act.

'Global action'

Mr Mukherjee said: "There is a pause in the composite dialogue process because of the attack on Mumbai."


There is no supportive interaction with our intelligence [agencies] and the Lashkar-e-Taiba
Asif Ali Zardari,
Pakistani president

The foreign minister, on a brief visit as part of the Congress party's state election campaign in Jammu and Kashmir, called on Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari to fulfil his "pledge" that the "infrastructural facilities [for militants] available in that territory should be dismantled".

Mr Mukherjee said that India wanted "results from Pakistan and not mere assurances".

But he insisted that the attacks in Mumbai had "nothing to do with Indo-Pakistan relations vis-a-vis Kashmir".

"It's not a Kashmir issue, it is not merely an issue between India and Pakistan. It is part of the global action and global war against terrorism."

He added that he hoped "it will be possible for us to resume the normalcy".

Kashmir has been disputed by India and Pakistan since the partition of the subcontinent in 1947.

The two nations have twice waged war over the divided region.

'Non-state actors'

Earlier, Mr Antony said India was "not planning any military action" against Pakistan, but urged Islamabad to do more in hunting down militants.

AK Antony
Mr Antony urged Pakistan to "show sincerity"

"Unless Pakistan takes actions against those terrorists who are operating on their soil against India... things will not be normal," he told reporters.

"We have to think about the safety of our people. I cannot say what course of action we will take, but unless Pakistan shows sincerity in what they are saying, things will not be as usual."

India blames militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) for the attacks.

At the weekend President Zardari insisted in an interview with Newsweek magazine that there was "no supportive interaction with our intelligence [agencies] and the LeT".

But he accepted that "non-state actors" who may be engaged in militant activity on Pakistani soil were "my responsibility".

Mr Zardari is expected to hold a meeting with his ruling allies later on Tuesday evening to discuss the tension with India.

The Pakistan National Assembly is continuing its debate on the same subject.