India asks Pak to review downgrading of diplomatic ties

India on Thursday asked Pakistan to review its "unilateral" decision to downgrade bilateral diplomatic relations in the wake of New Delhi's recent move on Jammu and Kashmir.

New Delhi said that Islamabad's decision to downgrade diplomatic ties was intended to "present an alarming picture to the world" about the state of India-Pakistan relations. "The reasons cited by Pakistan (for downgrading diplomatic ties with India) are not supported by facts on the ground," Raveesh Kumar, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said in New Delhi.

India scraps Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir | Follow live updates here

Islamabad on Wednesday asked New Delhi to withdraw High Commissioner of India to Pakistan, Ajay Bisaria. Pakistan also decided not to send its newly-appointed High Commissioner to India, Moin ul Haque, to New Delhi.

Islamabad moved to downgrade its diplomatic ties with New Delhi in response to India's decision to strip Jammu and Kashmir of special status granted by Article 370 of its Constitution and reorganizing the state into two Union Territories.

New Delhi on Thursday reiterated that the recent decisions by the Government and Parliament of India 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," the MEA said in a statement issued in New Delhi.

"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 utilized such sentiments to justify its cross-border terrorism," said Kumar, the spokesperson of the MEA.

New Delhi reiterated its position that "the recent developments pertaining to Article 370" were "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 underlined, sending out a message to Islamabad.

"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," said Kumar.