Three days after Terrible Tuesday, with the Mumbai toll creeping up to 223 and the number of injured crossing 700, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh used the occasion of his visit to the city to send a clear and resolute message to Pakistan’s government ‘‘at the highest level’’: the attack on India’s economic powerhouse is now a roadblock in the bilateral peace process.

Reminding Islamabad (read General Pervez Musharraf) of its assurance that it wouldn’t allow its soil to be used for terror against India, Singh said Pakistan must take urgent steps to control terrorism operating from its territory.

Having taken stock of the progress made by investigating agencies on the seven train bomb blasts, Singh said he had communicated to the government of Pakistan that unless support to terrorist infrastructure is severed, ‘‘it is exceedingly difficult for any government to carry forward what may be called as a normalisation and peace process.’’

Speaking at a press conference after visiting the injured at two Mumbai hospitals, he said: ‘‘We are also certain that these terror modules are instigated, inspired and supported by elements across the border, without which they cannot act with such devastating effect.’’

On continuing confidence-building measures, he reiterated that Pakistan had, two years ago, committed to ensuring that Pakistani territory is not used to aid and abet terrorism against India. ‘‘That assurance must be fulfilled before the peace process or other processes can make progress,’’ he said.

Incidentally, both Foreign Secretaries were to meet to take stock of the last round of the composite dialogue and finalise the agenda for the next round. The tentative dates being worked on was July 20-21. However, the alleged Pakistan link in the Mumbai blasts prompted a rethink in New Delhi which now wants to delay these talks.

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