London: India has asserted that Pakistan's failure to stop cross-border terror is impairing peace and delaying the dialogue process initiated by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

"In order to sustain the dialogue, we need peace and it is that peace which is being impaired, which is being threatened by cross-border terror," External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha said in an interview with the 'Asia Today' programme on the BBC World, telecast on October 1 morning.

Referring to recent upsurge in violence in Jammu and Kashmir, Sinha said, "According to our information, a large number of terrorists are poised to cross the line of control and get into India.

"We have to deal with that…and this is what we are asking Pakistan to stop. Please stop terrorists from coming into India. And this is what they are not willing to do and that is what is endangering or delaying the dialogue."

While admitting that "the uttering" of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf at New York had impacted on the "atmospheric for the peace process", Sinha said "at the same time we are determined to go ahead with that".

He also stated, "We are not obsessed with Pakistan as Pakistan is with India."

As regards Vajpayee's decision to attend the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Summit in Islamabad in 2004, he said, "Right at the beginning we made it clear that there is no question of a summit between Vajpayee and whoever comes for the summit from the Pakistan side – the Prime Minister or the President."

PTI