In a recent development, Imran Khan-led Pakistan government has announced that it will be downgrading diplomatic relations with India and has also called for the review of bilateral arrangements. Islamabad also announced that its airspace would be partially closed to India, for a month.
In yet another development, Pakistan has also expelled Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria, minutes after it decided to downgrade the diplomatic ties with India over what it called New Delhi's 'unilateral and illegal' move to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. This was announced after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired a crucial meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC), attended by top civil and military leadership, during which it was also decided to suspend the bilateral trade and review the 'bilateral arrangements'.
"We will call back our ambassador from Delhi and send back their envoy, foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said while speaking to a television channel. Even a statement by Pakistan government declared that the country will suspend trade in a downgrading of diplomatic ties between the India and Pakistan.
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As per reports, Pakistan's airspace will also be closed everyday except Sundays from 6 August to 5 September between 2.45 am and 11 am (local time). A statement issued after the NSC meeting read that the Committee discussed situation "arising out of unilateral and illegal actions" by the Indian government, situation inside Jammu and Kashmir and along the Line of Control.
Pakistan will also take the matter (abolition of the Article 370 by India) to the United Nations, including the Security Council, the statement said. India has said Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and the issue is strictly internal to the country. The statement said that the country will observe this Independence Day on August 14 in solidarity with Kashmiris. "August 15 will be observed as Black Day," it added.
Prime Minister Khan also directed that all diplomatic channels be activated to highlight the alleged human rights violations in the Valley. He directed the military to continue vigilance, the statement said. He also directed the military to continue vigilance, according to the statement.
Fumed over India's move to revoke Article 370 in the Valley, Khan had earlier expressed apprehension that Pulwama-like attacks can follow the revocation of the special status for Jammu and Kashmir, which could trigger a conventional war between Pakistan and India. "This will be a war that no one will win and the implications will be global," he warned while addressing a rare joint sitting of Parliament that was convened to discuss the Kashmir situation.
Khan said that his government would approach the world leaders and apprise them of situation in Kashmir. "We will fight it at every forum including the UN Security Council," he said, adding that Pakistan also plans to take the matter to the International Court of Justice. Speaking in Parliament, Foreign Minister Qureshi said on Wednesday that India has only harmed itself by revoking the special status of Kashmir.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national general-secretary Ram Madhav downplayed Pakistan's action and said that no other country had a locus standi on the issue. "Pakistan has no locus standi on this issue. Indian Parliament had taken a decision about Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and that is not an internal matter. No other nation has locus standi to react on this," he told reporters.
Meanwhile, India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval visited Shopian on Wednesday, where he interacted with the locals and even had lunch with them. Several restrictions are in place in Jammu and Kashmir, which the Centre imposed as a 'precautionary' measure.
India has not been engaging with Pakistan since an attack on the Air Force base at Pathankot in January of 2016 by Pakistan-based terrorists, maintaining that talks and terror cannot go together.