India wants to increase transport links between the Indian and Pakistani zones of divided Kashmir, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told parliament on Thursday. "Our government is for expanding flows" between the two sides, Singh told the Indian parliament's upper house during question hour.
"Whenever the opportunity arises we will take up this matter with Pakistan," he said, according to the Press Trust of India.
Last year, the nuclear-armed neighbours launched two bus services to help reunite families living on either side of the Line of Control (LoC), a de facto border that has split the mountainous region and its people for decades.
India's Junior Foreign Minister E. Ahmed told parliament that New Delhi proposed in January a third transit route, linking Jammu in India and Sialkot in Pakistan, but "Pakistan has not accepted it."
The bus links are part of a slow-moving process to normalise ties between the rivals, who have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947 - two of them over Kashmir.
But the peace process, launched in 2004, has stuttered to a virtual halt since the Mumbai train bombings last month that New Delhi said were carried out with help from "elements across the border," referring to Pakistan.
Singh's support for more transport links came just two days after he called on Islamabad to honour a pledge to prevent cross-border terrorism, saying peace between the neighbours was impossible in the face of terrorist attacks.
New Delhi complains that Islamabad has done little to rein in militant groups based in Pakistan, which rejects India's position, saying it is doing all it can to curb the activities of guerrillas on its soil.
India and Pakistan came to the brink of war four years ago following an attack on India's parliament that New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-based militants. Pakistan denied any involvement.
The two sides snapped diplomatic, transport and trade links, but restored them as tensions eased, leading eventually to the launch of the peace process.
Despite complaints that only a small number of those who apply get to use the bus links, they are seen as the first concrete progress from the peace process and an important symbol of India and Pakistan's commitment to it.
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