India says peace process with Pakistan under stress

By Krittivas Mukherjee

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's foreign secretary said on Monday the peace process with Pakistan was strained because its nuclear-armed foe was "inciting terror" inside India and trying to hit its interests abroad.

Pakistan quickly rejected the charge and said peace talks were "on track" but India was pointing an accusing finger at Islamabad without any evidence.

India's comments, one of the sharpest exchanges between the two sides since they launched peace talks in 2004, came after a bombing in Kabul that killed 58 people, including two Indian diplomats.

"Unfortunately certain incidents in recent past have vitiated the atmosphere between India and Pakistan. The dialogue process is under stress," Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon told reporters after an intense meeting between top foreign officials in New Delhi.

"There have been statements by leaders of Pakistan, inciting terror," he said.

"There are such statements from some government officials and this incitement of violence has culminated in suicide blasts in our embassy in Kabul," he said. "All investigations point to Pakistan being behind the blast."

Pakistan Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir said the accusations were baseless adding that Menon refused to specify India's basis for the accusations

"He (Menon) did not feel the need to share the information," Bashir said.