Kashmir issue: Pakistan suspends train service to India

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Pakistan, India, kashmir, article 370, samjhauta express, sheikh rasheed

Islamabad - "As long as I am railways minister, Samjhauta Express can't operate"

By Reuters

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Published: Thu 8 Aug 2019, 1:33 PM

Last updated: Fri 9 Aug 2019, 2:05 AM

Pakistan halted its main train service to India on Thursday and banned Indian films as it exerted diplomatic pressure on New Delhi for revoking the special status of Kashmir.
"Pakistan is looking at political, diplomatic and legal options," Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told a news conference in Islamabad, though he ruled out a new military conflict.
Also read: Pakistan closes 3 air routes for Indian carriers

"We're not looking at the military option. We're not," he said. The nuclear rivals have twice gone to war over Kashmir and fought an aerial duel in February.


India said changing the status of Kashmir was an internal affair. It urged Pakistan to reconsider its decision to downgrade diplomatic ties. "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," the foreign ministry said.
Islamabad said on Wednesday it would expel India's ambassador to Pakistan and its envoy, who was to start his assignment soon, would not move to New Delhi.
On Thursday, Pakistan said it would ban the screening of Indian movies in the country's cinemas.
Pakistan also said on Thursday it would suspend Samjhauta Express.
"We have decided to shut down Samjhauta Express," railways minister Sheikh Rasheed told a news conference on Thursday.


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