New Delhi: India has termed Pakistan’s step of suspending trade ties and removing Indian ambassadors as an “uncalled for and diversionary tactic”.

Pakistan on Wednesday 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.

Reacting to Pakistan’s step, top government sources said: “All that Pakistan is required to do is to control terrorism originating in that country. Instead, it is seeking to raise false alarm to hide its own failings and complicity.”

“Seems like a petulant child crying to deflect attention from glass of milk it broke by dropping it on the floor,” the sources said.

“There's no external angle in what has been done by Government of India. So, Pakistan’s reaction smacks of frustration on being outflanked," they said.

Pakistan decided to downgrade diplomatic relations and suspend bilateral trade with India in the wake of New Delhi's move of abolishing Article 370 of the Constitution that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the state into two Union Territories - Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

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".

"Our ambassadors will no longer be in New Delhi and their counterparts here will also be sent back," Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said in televised comments soon after the NSC meeting.

Later, the Foreign Office in a statement said that "Pursuant to the decision of the National Security Committee today, the Government of India has been told to withdraw its High Commissioner to Pakistan."

It, however, did not give any time line for India to pull back its envoy.

Punjab CM hopes Pak's move to downgrade ties won't affect Kartarpur corridor

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday expressed concern over Pakistan's decision to downgrade diplomatic ties with India but hoped the move would not affect the construction of the Kartarpur corridor.

Amarinder Singh described the neighbouring nation's action knee-jerk and uncalled for.

Pakistan's decision to downgrade diplomatic ties very short-sighted: Khurshid

Senior Congress leader and former external affairs minister Salman Khurshid on Wednesday called Pakistan's decision to downgrade diplomatic ties with India "very short-sighted" and said it would not affect India.

"In these times it is important to maintain bilateral ties and the decision (of Pakistan) is very short sighted and it is not going to make any difference to India," Khurshid told reporters on the sidelines of release of book India's Lost Frontier- The story of North West Frontier Province of Pakistan.