Pakistan not to resort to military options over Kashmir: Pakistani FM

REUTERS:- Pakistan will not take military option over Kashmir but hopes to turn to political and diplomatic means Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Thursday. Qureshi made the remarks at a news conference in Islamabad, adding that Pakistan reserves the right to respond to any Indian aggressive options. On Monday, India announced the removal of the "special status" of India-controlled Kashmir. Pakistan on Wednesday decided to suspend bilateral trade and downgrade its diplomatic relations with India in a meeting of the National Security Committee chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan. Addressing the joint session, Fakhar Imam, chairman of Pakistan's National Assembly's Committee on Kashmir, said that Kashmir is an internationally recognized dispute on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council, and the Indian move posed a great threat to peace, security, and stability in South Asia. India on Thursday responded to Pakistan's decision to downgrade bilateral ties, saying the decision was "not supported by facts on the ground." The Indian government regrets the steps announced by Pakistan on Wednesday and would urge that country to review them so that normal channels for diplomatic communications are preserved, said Indian Foreign Ministry at a press briefing. The Indian and Pakistani troops recently crossed fire and shelled each other several times near the Line of Actual Control in Jammu Kashmir. India has sent a large number of additional paramilitary troops to India-controlled Kashmir and intensified security measures.