Abrogation of Article 370: Pakistan downgrades ties with India, looks towards China for support 

Pakistan on Wednesday announced that it will be downgrading diplomatic ties with New Delhi, expel Indian envoy to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria and new Pakistanhigh commissioner to India Moin-ul-Haq won't be sent to Delhi by Islamabad.

In a statement, Pakistani foreign ministry said, "Pursuant to the decision of the National Security Committee today, the Government of India has been told to withdraw its High Commissioner to Pakistan."

Adding, "The Indian Government has also been informed that Pakistan will not be sending its High Commissioner-designate to India."

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The decision was taken byPakistan'sNational Security Committee (NSC), the highest security committee of the country. The meet that was chaired byPakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and sawPakistani Amry ChiefQamar Javed Bajwa participating along with top political and military leadership includingDG ISILt Gen Faiz HameedandForeign MinisterShah Mahmood Qureshi.

Pakistan-India diplomatic relations have previously been downgraded in 1999 and 2002 and on both occasions, diplomatic missions were downgraded.Pakistan and India diplomatic relations have been suspended previously in 1965 and 1971.

Pakistan'sNSCnot only to downgrade diplomatic ties but suspend bilateral trade with India and raise the matter at United Nations including the United Nations Security Council.

Decisions by Pakistan on trade frontwon't be impacting India much given the fact trade is minusculeand at UNSC, UN, Islamabad won't be getting much traction.

Meanwhile, Islamabad has decided to rope inall-weather allyChina's support.Pakistani foreign ministerspeaking in the Parliament said that he will be going to China soon.

"India has broken the spirit of the Shimla agreement. We have decided, that we will go to the security council. One of the members of the security council who is an old friend. We are already having consultations with China, after the resolution, I might go to China for consultations," he said.

Interestingly, even as Pakistan is trying to garner global support, two members of theOrganisation of Islamic Cooperation,Maldives & UAE have backed India on abrogation of Article370 calling it New Delhi's internal matter.

The Maldives, calling it India's internal mattersaid, "We believe that it is the right of every sovereign nation to amend their laws as required."