Pakistan on Monday “strongly condemned” the abrogation of Article 370 saying that it will “exercise all possible options to counter it”.

The Pakistan Foreign Office said in a statement said that it “strongly condemns and rejects” the announcement by India to repeal Article 370, which grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Reaffirming its “abiding commitment” to the Kashmir cause, Pakistan said, as the party to this international dispute, it will exercise all possible options to counter the “illegal steps”.

“The Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir is an internationally recognized disputed territory.”

It said that “no unilateral step” by the Indian government can “change the disputed status” according to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.

“Nor will this ever be acceptable to the people of Jammu & Kashmir and Pakistan,” it added.

“Pakistan reaffirms its abiding commitment to the Kashmir cause and its political, diplomatic and moral support to the people of Occupied Jammu and Kashmir for realization of their inalienable right to self-determination,” it said.

The statement came soon after the Centre proposed to revoke Article 370 of the Constitution and split the state into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir with an Assembly and Ladakh without one.

In the first official reaction coming in from Islamabad, Pakistan President Arif Alvi said on Monday that the Indian government’s decision to repeal Article 370, which gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir, was against the resolution of the UN Security Council (UNSC).

“India’s attempt to further change status of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir is against the resolutions of UNSC and against wishes of the Kashmiri people,” the official Twitter handle of the President said.

“Pakistan supports and insists on a peaceful resolution based on wishes of Kashmiri people and stands with them in their hour of need,” he said in another tweet.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif also condemned India’s move, declaring it “unacceptable” and an “act of treason” against the UN.

Calling for an emergency meeting of the parliamentary leaders, Shehbaz Sharif said, “This is a matter of Pakistan’s national interest and the entire nation is united on this front.”

Condemning India’s move on Kashmir, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari tweeted: “Atrocities in Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK) unabated. Extremist Indian govt’s intentions clear. President must immediately summon Joint session of Parliament in wake of Indian aggression in IoK.”

Prime Minister Imran Khan had on Sunday said that Islamabad will respond to any “misadventure or aggression” by Indian forces against it.