India on Thursday said that it “regrets” the decision taken by Pakistan on Wednesday to downgrade the diplomatic relations and urged the neighbouring nation to “review the steps taken so that normal channels for diplomatic communications are preserved”.
The Pakistan government had on Wednesday expelled Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria and suspended trade with India over the revocation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
The decision was taken at a meeting of National Security Committee (NSC) – the second within a week – presided over by Prime Minister Imran Khan to review the situation following the Indian government’s move on Kashmir.
The Ministry of External Affairs in a statement on Thursday said that it has seen reports that Pakistan has decided to take certain unilateral actions in respect to its bilateral relations with India, which includes downgrading the diplomatic relations.
The Ministery further made it clear that the recent developments pertaining to Article 370 were “entirely the internal affair of India”.
“The Constitution of India was, is and will always be a sovereign matter. Seeking to interfere in that jurisdiction by invoking an alarmist vision of the region will never succeed,” the Government stated firmly.
Targeting Pakistan, the Ministry further said that it was “no surprise that such developmental initiatives that could address any disaffection in Jammu and Kashmir should be negatively perceived in Pakistan, a country which has utilized such sentiments to justify its cross-border terrorism”.
As per the Pakistan National Security Council decision, the government has decided to downgrade diplomatic relations with India, suspend bilateral trade with New Delhi, review bilateral arrangements, take up Kashmir matter with the UN and observe August 14 in solidarity with brave Kashmiris.
Read | Pakistan suspends trade with India, expels Indian envoy
This was the second session of the National Security Committee (NSC) within a week after the Indian government’s move to scrap special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
The Parliament on Tuesday approved a resolution abrogating special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution and a bill for splitting the state into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.