India's Envoy To Pak Called Back For Consultations After Pulwama Attack

Pulwama attack: Ajay Bisaria, India's High Commissioner to Pakistan, has been called back to Delhi

Ajay Bisaria, India's High Commissioner to Pakistan, has been called back to Delhi for consultations after a Pakistan-based terror group killed over 40 CRPF soldiers in a massive car bombing in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, sources told NDTV. "Ajay Bisaria has been called to Delhi for consultations in the wake of Pulwama attack," a source said.

The soldiers were killed when their convoy was hit by the powerful car bomb, fitted with 60 kg of explosives, on the Srinagar-Jammu highway in Pulwama district.

Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed has claimed responsibility for the attack, the deadliest in Jammu and Kashmir since the start of the century.

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale has also summoned Pakistan's High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood, and a very strong demarche or diplomatic protest was lodged over the Pulwama terror attack, sources said.

India has already decided to remove "Most Favoured Nation" privileges given to Pakistan, and said it will work to ensure the country's isolation globally. Most Favoured Nation status is given to a trade partner to ensure non-discriminatory trade between two nations.

The foreign ministry in its latest push to isolate Pakistan has appealed to all members of the UN Security Council to list Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. China has kept its stand on Masood Azhar unchanged; it has repeatedly blocked efforts by India and other UN Security Council members to list Masood Azhar as a UN-designated terrorist.

India said it had "incontrovertible evidence" of Pakistan's involvement in the Pulwama attack. The Pakistan government responded with a stiff denial, while calling the attack a matter of "grave concern."

The US has asked Pakistan "to end immediately the support and safe haven provided to all terrorist groups operating on its soil".

The last major attack in Jammu and Kashmir was in 2016 when Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists attacked an Army camp in Uri, killing 20 soldiers. Weeks later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered a surgical strike on terrorist camps across the Line of Control.