India’s Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, interrupted a visit to wounded survivors of Bombay’s train bombings today to give a blunt warning to Pakistan to control terror groups inside its borders — including those he blames for the atrocity, which killed 189 people.

Failure to do so would risk destroying the peace process aimed at resolving the Kashmir dispute between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, said Mr Singh, in an abrasive attack after a tour of two of the city’s hospitals.

"Pakistan in 2004 had solemnly given an assurance that Pakistani territory will not be used to promote, encourage, train and abet terrorist elements directed against India. That assurance has to be fulfilled before the peace process or other processes can make progress," he said.

"We are certain that terrorist modules are instigated, inspired and supported by elements across the border," he added, clearly upset after his talks with a number of victims who had lost limbs in Tuesday’s rush hour attacks.

His remarks brought a swift and angry response from Pakistan. Amid the rising cross-border tensions, India announced the cancellation of next week’s scheduled talks between the countries’ Foreign Ministers.

Mr Singh said there was no chance of improved relations until Pakistan-based groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) - the main suspects for masterminding the Bombay bombings - are dealt with.

While admitting that cities like Bombay harbour their own homegrown terrorists, Mr Singh argued that without help from across the border "they cannot act with such devastating effect. They clearly want to destroy our growing economic strength, to destroy our unity and provoke communal incidents."

The Prime Minister did not detail what sort of specific support he believes the Bombay cell was given from across the border but Indian officials have long argued that Pakistan provides technical assistance, training and funding for an array of militant Islamic groups.

After the countries teetered on the brink of war in 2002, they have recently engaged in talks though they have made little progress on dealing with the most contentious issue, the future control of Kashmir.

Indian officials tonight gave no date for the next round of negotiations.

Pakistan has strenuously denied having any links with the Bombay bombers and President Pervez Musharraf has offered to help his neighbour investigate the terror attack which he condemned for loss of "precious lives."

A Foreign Ministry spokesman in Islamabad tried to dismiss the idea of a serious rupture in diplomatic relations saying: "The peace process between Pakistan and India is a separate matter. It is in the interest of both."

Explore Asia News

• China News

Times Recommends

• Putin set to bait US with nuclear aid for Tehran
• North Korea ‘uses doubles to hide death of Kim’
• Academics label Charlie Wilson too 'gung-ho'