Reacting to Pakistan's decision of suspending trade with India and downgrading diplomatic relations over revocation of Jammu & Kashmir’s special status, New Delhi has warned Islamabad that its attempts to interfere in the country's jurisdiction by invoking an alarmist vision of the region will never succeed and urged it to review the decision.
On Thursday, the Ministry of External Affairs issued an statement on the matter. It said, “The Government of India regrets the steps announced by Pakistan yesterday and would urge that country to review them so that normal channels for diplomatic communications are preserved.”
Justifying its decision to abrogate Article 370 and bifurcating the State into the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh, the release said the decisions were driven by a commitment to extend to Jammu and Kashmir opportunities for development that were earlier denied by a temporary provision in the Constitution. “Its impact would also result in the removal of gender and socio-economic discrimination. It is also expected to result in an upswing of economic activity and improvement in the livelihood prospects of all people of Jammu and Kashmir,” it said.
It is 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 release added.
“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,” it said.