India blames Pakistan for Kabul embassy attack

"We have no doubt that the ISI is behind this," M.K.Narayanan told NDTV late on Saturday, referring to Pakistan'sInter-Services Intelligence agency.

He told another news channel India had a "fair amount" ofevidence linking the ISI to Monday's car bomb. Among the deadwere an Indian defence attache and a diplomat.

An Afghan spokesman said after the attack that it bore the"hallmarks of a particular intelligence agency".

Pakistan has denied any involvement in the embassy attack.

"We have already stated that in no way were Pakistan'ssecurity agencies or anyone from Pakistan involved in anyincident in Afghanistan," said Information Minister SherryRehman.

Rehman said it was unfortunate the accusations were beingmade when Pakistan was seeking to move forward with a peaceprocess with India.

Narayanan told NDTV he hoped the peace talks, which thenuclear-armed rivals resumed in 2004, would continue.

"We are in the favour of the peace process, but the ISI isnot in any way part of it. The ISI is playing evil. The ISIneeds to be destroyed," he said, according to a transcript ofthe interview on the NDTV Web site.

India has close ties with Afghanistan, where it has pledgedabout $750 million towards reconstruction of the war-ravagedcountry. Some political analysts think Pakistan is increasinglywary of losing influence in Afghanistan to India.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since theirindependence in 1947, and they nearly went to war a fourth timein 2002.

(Additional Augustine Anthony in Islamabad)

(Reporting by Jonathan Allen; Editing by Robert Birsel andMatthew Jones)