Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria leaves Islamabad amid tensions over Kashmir

New Delhi/Karachi: Indian envoy to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria left Islamabad on Saturday, days after Pakistan announced that it will be cutting diplomatic ties with New Delhi in the backdrop of India's internal decision to remove a special status for the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. 

All Indian High Commission Officials and officers bid farewell to him at India house prior to his departure. He will be arriving in India via Doha on a flight.

Pakistan last week announced that it will be downgrading diplomatic ties with India and expelled the Indian envoy in response to the Narendra Modi government's move to abrogate Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Islamabad said that it won't be sending its newly appointed envoy Moin Ul Haq to take charge in India.

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Responding to its announcement, India has called the move ''unilateral'' and accused Islamabad of not consulting New Delhi. 

Addressing a press conference earlier, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kamar said, "The action taken by Pakistan is unilateral. weather its Samjahuta express, trade relations, asking us to withdraw high commission, this has been done without consulting us"

India, in a measured response to Pakistan's knee jerk reaction, has urged Islamabad to reconsider its decisions.

"We have regretted the steps which they have announced. Our sense is whatever is being announced by Pakistan is to present a very alarming picture of our bilateral relations", Raveesh Kumar added.