Hassled Pakistan to counter India's steps in J-K

Rattled by India's landmark decisions scrapping the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and converting the state into a Union Territory, Pakistan on Monday said it will exercise "all possible options" to counter the steps.

This statement from Islamabad comes hours after India scrapped Article 370 of the Constitution that gave a special status to Jammu and Kashmir and barred people from the rest of the country from buying property there. The BJP-led Centre also converted Jammu and Kashmir into a Union Territory with legislature, while hiving off Ladakh as a separate Union Territory without legislature.

It also added that Pakistan is committed to the "Kashmir cause and its political, diplomatic and moral support to the people".

"Pakistan reaffirms its abiding commitment to the Kashmir cause and its political, diplomatic and moral support to the people of Jammu and Kashmir for the realization of their inalienable right to self-determination," the Pakistan Foreign Ministry said.

Ironically, the statement comes even as Pakistan is struggling with a debt-ridden economy and has "30,000 to 40,000" militants on its soil, as accepted by their Prime Minister Imran Khan during his recent US visit. Not only this, he even admitted that his country has 40 different militant groups operating within its borders.

Islamabad has for long aided anti-India activities on its soil, many times aimed at perpetrating violence in Kashmir. An example of their nefarious designs came to the fore when Indian Army on Saturday foiled an infiltration attempt by Pakistani Border Action Team (BAT) in Jammu and Kashmir's Keran Sector while eliminating five-seven Pakistani Army regulars and terrorists.

Earlier this month, the Indian Army had said that Pakistani terrorists were plotting to carry out an attack on the ongoing Amarnath Yatra and that the security forces had recovered a Pakistan Ordnance Factory anti-personnel mine from a terror cache.

Following this, the Jammu and Kashmir administration had advised all Amarnath Yatris and tourists to curtail their stay in the Valley. Several countries like Germany and the UK also advised its citizens against travelling to the state.