Daily Times

As tensions following India’s illegal and unilateral Kashmir move escalate, at least 13 Indian diplomatic staff members left Pakistan on Saturday and crossed the international border at Wagah into India, diplomatic sources said.

The staff left the country along with their families. Pakistan downgraded its diplomatic ties and suspended bilateral trade with India in response to New Delhi’s illegal annexation of disputed Jammu and Kashmir region.

The decision was part of a series of measures announced by the government after civil-military leadership discussed the situation, arising out of Indian decision to abrogate Article 370 of its constitution. On Friday, Information advisor Firdous Ashiq Awan said that the cabinet had reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment that it would not budge from its principled stand on Kashmir and will not show any flexibility in its position and national interests of the country. PM Imran Khan had also directed cabinet members to proactively use the social media to expose Indian forces’ atrocities in occupied Kashmir and also India’s open violation of international laws.

Meanwhile Pakistan said it had canceled a bus linking Lahore with India’s capital New Delhi, the last remaining public transport link over the Kashmir region. Arshad Ali, tourism officer at the Tourism Development Corporation of Pakistan, said the government had issued directives that meant the bus, that departs Lahore six days a week at 0600 local time, was suspended from Saturday onwards. “The operation will remain suspended till further decision,” he said.