New Delhi, Aug 26: With the finger of suspicion being pointed at Pakistan-based terrorist outfits for the Mumbai car bombings, India today said the scale and frequency of terrorist acts made the task of its sincere well-intentioned peace initiatives "more difficult". "Action to eliminate terrorism cannot but have a positive bearing on the normalisation process," external affairs ministry spokesman told reporters when asked whether the Mumbai blasts would affect the ongoing peace initiative with Pakistan.

Earlier in the day, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, who flew to Mumbai, said that the involvement (in the blasts) of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) "raises doubt about our neighbour".

The MEA spokesman said India has been stressing again and again that the "dossier of terrorism cannot be overlooked".

New Delhi has handed over to Pakistan a list of 20 wanted terrorists and criminals taking refuge in that country. They include Dawood Ibrahim, one of the accused in the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai.
He said, "We will continue to monitor the situation as we consolidate the steps already taken, complete those under discussion and give consideration to new ones".

Bureau Report