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© Global Look Press/ZUMAPRESS/Rana Sajid Hussain
Pakistan says it's going to downgrade diplomatic relations with India and suspend trade with the neighbor state, dubbing New Delhi's decision to revoke the autonomous status of Kashmir as "unilateral and illegal".

Pakistan vowed to take the Kashmir issue to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), while Prime Minister, Imran Khan, told the Pakistani military to "continue vigilance."

He was chairing a National Security Committee meeting, where it was also decided to review all 'bilateral arrangements'. Islamabad also announced that India's envoy to Pakistan, Ajay Bisaria, will be expelled from the country as part of the response measures.

Bilateral trade between India and Pakistan that has now been suspended amounted to around $2.5 billion last year. That's roughly 3 percent of Islamabad's total annual trade.


Pakistan expels Indian envoy & recalls ambassador over Kashmir row

The Pakistani government is expelling an Indian envoy from the country and recalling its own ambassador from India, in response to a move by New Delhi to revoke legal autonomy from its part of contested Kashmir.

The decision was made on Wednesday following a meeting of Pakistan's National Security Committee, which resolved to "downgrade" diplomatic relations with India and to freeze trade ties.

"Our ambassadors will no longer be in New Delhi and their counterparts here will also be sent back," Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said, as cited by ARY News. Prime Minister Imran Khan for his part had "directed that all diplomatic channels" be activated to expose what he called "brutal" Indian "regime."