New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha has said that the terrorist attack near Jammu on July 13 night has dealt a blow to normalisation of relations between India and Pakistan.

"Qasim Nagar carnage is a setback to normalisation of relations between the two countries," he told Aaj Tak in "Seedhi Baat" programme to be telecast on July 17.

To another query, Sinha said the process of appointing a High Commissioner to Pakistan has been slowed down because of lack of positive reaction to India's move in this regard from Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf.

"We had zeroed in on one person to be appointed as High Commissioner to Pakistan but Musharaf sahib has kept on saying that there is no such move by India. As a result, we held back our hands (hamne haath peeche kar liya)."

"This is the present situation (on moves to appoint High Commissioner to India)," he said.

He said there was no change in India's stand on joint patrolling of the borders with Pakistan but Islamabad was not agreeable to it.

PTI