New Delhi, Aug 10 (TIWN) India on Friday said it is time for Pakistan to accept the reality of change in status of Jammu and Kashmir and stop interfering in what is entirely an internal matter of India, even as it urged Islamabad to review its unilateral decision to snap ties.

 India has also reached out to other nations to explain its stand on Kashmir, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said at a briefing.  The foreign ministry on Thursday had asked Pakistan to review its decision to downgrade diplomatic and trade ties after its decisions on Kashmir. On Wednesday, Pakistan had expelled the Indian envoy in Islamabad and had announced a five-point plan that included downgrading its ties with India and suspending bilateral trade. 

On Friday, the Pakistan government said that it will suspend the Thar Express, its last remaining train link with India, a day after it stopped the Samjhauta Express, connecting national capital Delhi with the Pakistani city of Lahore.  "We have seen reports that Pakistan has decided to take certain unilateral actions in respect to its bilateral relations with India," the foreign ministry said in a detailed response. 

The intention behind Pakistan's measures "is obviously to present an alarming picture to the world of our bilateral ties", said the statement. The reasons cited by Pakistan are not supported by facts on the ground, the government said.  "The recent developments pertaining to Article 370 are entirely the internal affair of India. The Constitution of India was, is and will always be a sovereign matter. Seeking to interfere in that jurisdiction by invoking an alarmist vision of the region will never succeed," the government said.   "Recent decisions by the government and parliament of India are driven by a commitment to extend to Jammu and Kashmir opportunities for development that were earlier denied by a temporary provision in the Constitution. Its impact would also result in the removal of gender and socio-economic discrimination. It is also expected to result in an upswing of economic activity and improvement in the livelihood prospects of all people of Jammu and Kashmir."