Article 370 internal matter, Pakistan trying to spread alarm: India

New Delhi: India on Thursday urged Pakistan to review its decision of downgrading of diplomatic relation and suspending bilateral ties according to five-point plan announced by Islamabad on Wednesday. The decision by Pakistan came a day after India revoked Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

In a strongly-worded statement, the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said, “We have seen reports that Pakistan has decided to take certain unilateral actions in respect to its bilateral relations with India. This includes the downgrading of our diplomatic relations. The intention behind these measures is obviously to present an alarming picture to the world of our bilateral ties. The reasons cited by Pakistan are not supported by facts on the ground.”

India also insisted that scrapping Article 370 was an “internal matter” designed to fast track development in Jammu and Kashmir and expressed regret over the steps announced by the Pakistan.

Read | Post Article 370, Pakistan expels Indian envoy, suspends trade

“The recent developments pertaining to Article 370 are 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 statement read.

The statement said it was not surprising that such developmental initiatives that could address any disaffection in Jammu and Kashmir should be negatively perceived in Pakistan, "which has utilised such sentiments to justify its cross-border terrorism."

The Ministry of External Affairs statement came after Pakistan on Wednesday announced that it would downgrade the diplomatic relations and suspend bilateral trade with India over scrapping of Article 370, Article 35A and bifurcating Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories (UTs).

The Pakistan government also expelled Indian High Commissioner, Ajay Bisaria, as part of their downgrading process. The newly appointed Pakistan High Commissioner would also not come to India.

Read | India asked to withdraw its High Commissioner to Pak

It also partially closed its airspace hours and increased the minimum limit of the altitude of flights, a move aimed at India.

Earlier this week, India abrogated Article 370 which accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday after a resolution regarding the same was passed in both houses of the Parliament.

Read | Special status gone, J&K (Reorganisation) Bill passed in Rajya Sabha

The Centre also passed the Jammu and Kashmir (Reorganisation) Bill 2019 which bifurcated the state into two UTs – Jammu and Kashmir (with a legislature) and Ladakh (without legislature).