Islamabad: Pakistan has suspended the Samjhauta Express train service with India, Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed announced on Thursday, a day after Islamabad downgraded the diplomatic ties with New Delhi.
"We have decided to suspend the Samjhauta train service," Rasheed said while addressing a press conference here.
"Till I am Railways minister, Samjhauta Express train service will not operate," he said, adding that the bogies of the train will now be used for passengers travelling on the occasion of Eid.
The Samjhauta Express train service was suspended earlier this year, due to escalating tensions between the two neighbouring countries. However, the service was later resumed.
"The next three to four months are very important. War can happen, but we do not want a war. If war is waged on us, it will be the last one," the railways minister warned.
The minister made the announcement as passengers were waiting at the Lahore station to board the train to travel to India.
The Samjhauta Express, named after the Hindi word for "agreement", comprises six sleeper coaches and an AC 3-tier coach. The train service was started on July 22, 1976 under the Simla Agreement that settled the 1971 war between the two nations.
On the Indian side, the train runs from Delhi to Attari and from Lahore to Wagah on the Pakistan side.
Pakistan's latest move comes a day after it expelled Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria on Wednesday and decided to downgrade the diplomatic ties with India over what it called New Delhi's "unilateral and illegal" move to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
The decision was taken during a National Security Committee meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan and top civil and military leadership.
India on Monday revoked Article 370 of the Constitution to withdraw the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the state into two Union Territories -- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Mandya: A purported video of sangh parivar activists who were on their way to a 'Sankirtana Yatra' organised as part of Hanuman Jayanti in Srirangapatna on Sunday, intercepting Muslim youths travelling on bikes and threatening them to chant 'Jai Shri Ram' has gone viral on social media platforms, prompting the police to registered a suo motu case in this regard.
According to reports, the incident took place near Sundahalli on the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway in Mandya taluk.
The purported video shows three Muslim youths riding a bike near the underpass service road of the highway being surrounded by Sangh Parivar activists who were going on a Sankirtana Yatra and were forced to chant 'Jai Shri Ram'.
In the wake of outrage over the incident, the Mandya Rural Police have registered a suo motu case against the accused under BNS 189(2), 126(2), 196, 352, R.V 190.
According to the FIR, around 8-10 unknown persons have reportedly committed the crime.