With the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) set to hold “closed consultations” on India’s Kashmir move later in the evening today, the Army said that Pakistan might play the victim card and hope that “escalating ceasefire violations may invite due attention”.

The Indian Army sources quoted by ANI said that Pakistan has upscaled ceasefire violations both in terms of weapon and area in the last few days.

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It further said that the immediate aim appears to show Kashmir as the potential flashpoint to seek world attention.

On Thursday as India celebrated its 73rd Independence Day, the Pakistan Army claimed that it lost three of its soldiers on the LoC firing by Indian forces, which was vehemently denied by India. India also denied Pakistan Army’s claim about five Indian soldiers getting killed in an exchange of fire on August 15.

The claims made by Pakistan’s Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) were termed as fictitious by an Indian Army officer.

Meanwhile, the UNSC will meet today to discuss India’s move to revoke Article 370, days after Pakistan wrote a letter on the issue to the world body.

Poland, which currently holds the council’s rotating presidency, has listed the matter for discussion at 10:00 am (1930 IST).

Friday’s discussion is not considered a full security meeting but rather referred to as closed-door consultations, which are becoming increasingly more common, diplomats said.

The development comes after Pakistan wrote a formal letter to the UNSC president calling for an emergency meeting of the UNSC to discuss India’s move to revoke the special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The letter was sent through Permanent Representative Maleha Lodhi to convene the meeting.

The UNSC has, however, declined to hold a formal session on Kashmir with Pakistan’s participation, and instead scheduled a closed-door consultation.

Pakistan had asked for a full-fledged meeting of the Council at which it could speak on New Delhi revoking Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution.

The Indian Parliament on August 6 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.

The Pakistan government had termed the Centre’s move as “unilateral and illegal”.

As tensions between the two nations escalated, Pakistan decided to downgrade diplomatic relations with India over the Kashmir move. It expelled Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria and suspended trade with India.

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.

In a series of retaliatory measures, Islamabad suspended the Samjhauta Express and Thar Express services operating between Pakistan and India. It also stopped the Lahore-Delhi ‘Dosti’ bus service.

India has slammed Pakistan for the unilateral decisions taken in respect to the bilateral relations and urged the neighbouring nation to “review the steps taken so that normal channels for diplomatic communications are preserved”.

New Delhi has 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.