Tit-for-tat diplomacy: India cancels Samjhauta Express

New Delhi, Aug 11: Samjhauta Express, bi-weekly train that runs between Delhi and Lahore, has now been cancelled by the Indian Railways on the Indian side of the border days after Pakistan suspended services on its side.

Pakistan was the first to suspended the Samjhauta Express and the Thar Express trains amid tensions over the BJP-led government's revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and divided the state into two Union Territories (UTs).

"In consequent to Pakistan's decision to cancel Samjhaouta Express 14607/14608 running between Lahore and Atari, the link exp train number 14001/14002 running between Delhi and Atari also stands cancelled (sic)," Deepak Kumar, Chief Public Relations Officer of Northern Railway, said.

Earlier, Pakistan railway minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad rejected India's request to review the decision of closing down the operations of the Samjhauta and Thar Express trains, saying that the services will not resume till the time he holds the post.

Indian Railways on Thursday had clarified that the Samjhauta Express has not yet been suspended but Pakistan authorities refused to send their crew to India citing security concern. The train stood in the Wagah side of the border in Pakistan with around 110 passengers yesterday. An Indian engine brought the train from Wagah to Attari.

Pakistan has decided to downgrade diplomatic ties with India. After the decision was taken by the National Security Committee (NSC), Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said, their ambassadors will no longer be in Delhi and their counterparts in Pakistan will be sent back.

Pakistan expelled Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria, minutes after it decided to downgrade the diplomatic ties with India over what it called New Delhi's "unilateral and illegal" move to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

When was Samjhauta Express last cencelled?

Last time Samjhauta Express was suspended was on February 28 this year amidst tense bilateral ties in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack.

Pakistan on March 3 restored the Samjhauta Express services between Lahore and Delhi, days after the train was suspended due to tense bilateral ties in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack and the subsequent aerial engagement between the air forces of the two countries.

The train service was started on July 22, 1976 under the Shimla Agreement that settled the 1971 war between the two nations. The Samjhauta Express, named after the Hindi word for "agreement", comprises six sleeper coaches and an AC 3-tier coach. The train service was started on July 22, 1976 under the Shimla Agreement that settled the 1971 war between the two nations.