WASHINGTON, July 20: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh warned Pakistan on Wednesday that he might be forced to suspend peace efforts if Pakistan does not curb militant infiltrations into the Indian zone of divided Kashmir.

“I as the Prime Minister of a democracy cannot move ahead of Indian public opinion if acts of terrorism are not under control — that certainly affects my ability to push forward the process of normalizing our relations with Pakistan,” he said.

Mr Singh spoke after a car bomb claimed by Kashmiri militants exploded in Srinagar on Wednesday.

The blast came as the Indian army reported a rise in militant infiltration into the Indian zone of disputed Kashmir since Himalayan snows began melting.

Mr Singh said the backdrop for resolution of the Kashmir issue “can be easily vitiated if Pakistan’s territory continues to be used to fan terrorist acts directed against our country.”—AFP