(UTV|COLOMBO) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appeared on state media to defend his highly controversial decision to remove the special status accorded to Kashmir.
Mr Modi said a “new era” was beginning for the Indian-administered part of the region, where “hindrances” to its development had been lifted.
The area has been in lockdown since Sunday night, with mobile, landline and internet networks cut off.
Pakistan says the removal of special status breaches international law.
Like India, Pakistan claims Kashmir in its entirety, and the two nuclear-armed powers have fought several wars over the Himalayan region since partition in 1947. Each controls part of the territory.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi ruled out a new military conflict on Thursday, telling reporters in the capital Islamabad: “We’re not looking at the military option. We’re not.”
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