Pakistan's railways minister Sheikh Rasheed has said he decided to close the rail link with India amid tensions between the two countries over Kashmir's status.
"We have decided to shut down Samjhauta Express," railways minister Sheikh Rasheed told a news conference on Thursday, in reference to the train running to India's capital New Delhi from the Pakistani city of Lahore. As long as I am railways minister, Samjhauta Express can’t operate".
On 6 August, Pakistan suspended diplomatic and trade ties with India over Delhi's decision to revoke Article 370 of the constitution which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. On Thursday, India said it regretted Pakistan's decision and urged its neighbour to reconsider the move.
Kashmir has been a bone of contention between India and Pakistan since they both gained independence from Britain in 1947. Both nations claim the entire region but control only parts of it. The nuclear-armed foes have fought two wars and have been engaged in a limited conflict over the region in the past 70 years.