'Thank you, Pakistan': Shiv Sena on Islamabad notching down ties with India

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Friday said Kashmir was now a closed chapter for Pakistan and asserted that Islamabad downgrading diplomatic ties with India post removal of special status for the border state will hurt it more than New Delhi.

Early this week, the Centre revoked special status to Jammu and Kashmir accorded under Article 370 of the Constitution and bifurcated the state into two Union Territories -- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Pakistan on Wednesday expelled Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria as part of its decision to downgrade the diplomatic ties with India over what it called New Delhi’s “unilateral and illegal” move on Jammu and Kashmir.

“What more can Pakistan do?” asked the editorial in the Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana’, seeking to highlight insignificance of Islamabad’s reaction.

 “Thanking” Pakistan for downgrading the diplomatic ties with India, the Sena said Islamabad should now accept the Kashmir issue was a closed chapter for them and the only thing left with them is POK which will also be settled soon.

Referring to the pro-India banners, including a quote of Sena leader Sanjay Raut, that have appeared in parts of Islamabad, the editorial said the saffron outfit had entered the Pakistan territory and the Indian Army will follow suit.

One of the banners carried a quote of Raut: “Aaj Jammu -Kashmir liya hai, kal Balochistan, PoK lenge. Mujhe vishwas hai desh ke PM Akhand Hindustan ka sapna poora karenge [Today, we took Jammu and Kashmir, tomorrow we will take Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. I am sure Prime Minister Modi will make the dream of undivided India come true].” The Marathi daily said downgrading ties will hurt Pakistan more than India.

It said the Sena has been demanding for several years that the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi be locked since Kashmiri separatists got all their funding from there.

The BJP ally said it was a known fact that sympathisers of Kashmiri militants come to the Pakistan High Commission to plot “anti-India conspiracies”.

 “If Pakistan had not closed down its embassy (High Commission) in New Delhi, its envoy would have had to flee the country since there was so much anger here.

 “There is no emotional connect between the two countries now,” the newspaper said.

 “After the Pathankot terror attack, India had stopped dialogue with Pakistan at political level. After the Pulwama attack, where 40 CRPF jawans were martyred, India conducted air strikes and now it has scrapped Article 370,” it noted.

Suspending trade ties and reviewing all “bilateral arrangements” with India will harm Pakistan which should be “thanked” for its decision, the editorial maintained.

Referring to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s remarks that there could be “Pulwama-like incidents” after India’s actions on J&K, the Sena said this proved Islamabad was the brain behind the February 14 terror attack.

“Because of this unfortunate incident, India got the political will to remove Article 370,” the editorial said.