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India to terminate rail and road links with Pakistan

Friday 21 December 2001 01:00 GMT
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India said it is recalling its ambassador from Pakistan and terminating rail and bus services that connect the two nations, as relations worsened following a suicide attack on Parliament that New Dehli blames on Islamabad.

India said it is recalling its ambassador from Pakistan and terminating rail and bus services that connect the two nations, as relations worsened following a suicide attack on Parliament that New Dehli blames on Islamabad.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Nirupama Rao said the actions would take effect January 1.

"Since the December 13 attack on Parliament, we have seen no attempt on the part of Pakistan to take action against the organizations involved," Rao told a press conference.

She reiterated that India has demanded Pakistan's government shut down two Islamic militant organizations India has accused of carrying out the attack that killed eight people, besides five guerillas.

India has demanded the arrest of leaders of the two groups - Lafhkar-e-Tayyaba and Jaish-e-Mohammed - and freeze their assets.

Both groups have denied involvement in the attack. Pakistan has rejected India's accusations that its intelligence service supported the attack and said it would take no action until India supplies proof.

There was no immediate indication whether India's action was intended as a definitive break in diplomatic ties.Leaders of the two countries are scheduled to attend a summit of South Asian nations in Nepal on January 4-6, and both governments had indicated until Friday that that meeting was still on.

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