Peace process between India and Pakistan under stress: Menon

Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon on Monday warned that the over four-year-old peace process between New Delhi and Islamabad is under stress in the wake of the July 7 suicide bomb attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul.

New Delhi, Jul 21 : Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon on Monday warned that the over four-year-old peace process between New Delhi and Islamabad is under stress in the wake of the July 7 suicide bomb attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul.

Accusing "elements" in Pakistan for that incident, Menon said that conveyed the Indian Government's strong objections on the recent terror attacks and ceasefire violations to his Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir, and demanded that these concerns of New Delhi be addressed.

The message was conveyed during the fifth round of the Indo-Pak composite dialogue on peace and security, Jammu and Kashmir and other Confidence Building Measures (CBMs).

Menon said the talks were happening at a "difficult time of our relationship with Pakistan" following the return of democracy there. Unfortunately, there have been several issues in the recent past which have vitiated the atmosphere and the composite dialogue process is under stress."

"There have been public statements by some leaders in Pakistan, who are reverting to the old polemics," Menon said, adding all these things had culminated into the suicide bombing at the Indian embassy in Kabul in which over 40 people, including the Indian Defence Attache, and other employees of the mission, were killed.

"Our investigations so far point towards a few elements in Pakistan to be behind the (Kabul) blast," he said, but refused to identify these elements saying investigations were continuing.

ANI