Face of Nation : Pakistan on Friday announced its decision to suspend the bus service with India, a day after it said the Samjhauta Express train service would be cancelled. “In line with the decisions of NSC (National Security Cabinet), Pak-India bus service is suspended,” said Murad Saeed, Minister for Communications, in a tweet.
Pakistan earlier in the day announced it will suspend the Thar Express train service with India, which links the two countries across the Rajasthan border, a day after it stopped the Samjhauta Express following its decision to downgrade bilateral ties. The Thar Express has been running between Jodhpur’s Bhagat ki Kothi station to Karachi every Friday night since services resumed on February 18, 2006 after a 41-year suspension.
The Samjhauta Express was held up at Wagah on Thursday for some time by Pakistan authorities, citing security concerns. An Indian locomotive then brought the train to its side of the border. Though the Samjhauta Express was briefly suspended after the Indian Air Force struck a terror base in Pakistan’s Balakot in February, Thar Express continued unaffected.
Pakistan’s decision to suspended the services of the two trains came 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 Indian government on Monday revoked Article 370 of the Constitution that withdrew the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the state into two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
Tensions between both countries have ratcheted after the move — Pakistan has said it will approach the United Nations Security Council and Prime Minister Imran Khan has even reached out to global leaders. India on Friday said Pakistan is nervous over its steps in Jammu and Kashmir and asserted that Islamabad thinks it will not be able to mislead people if there is development in that region.
