India cancels Samjhauta Express service with Pakistan

New Delhi

India on Sunday cancelled the Samjhauta Express train run at its end, days after Pakistan took similar action on its side.

The bi-weekly train service links Pakistan's northeastern Lahore city to the Indian capital New Delhi through the Wagah border crossing.

In a statement, Northern Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Deepak Kumar said, “In consequent to Pakistan's decision to cancel Samjahuta Express 14607/14608 running between Lahore and Atari, the link express train number 14001/14002 running between Delhi and Attari also stands cancelled."

According to officials, only two passengers had booked tickets for Sunday’s service.

On Aug. 8, Pakistan suspended the train service to India amid escalating tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, after New Delhi scrapped special status of the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Samjhauta Express train service was also suspended earlier this year after escalating tensions between the two countries. The service was later resumed.

Tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi have further heightened following India's move to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir -- which allowed Kashmiri citizens to enact their own laws and prevented outsiders to settle and own land in the territory.

Kashmiri leaders and citizens fear this step is an attempt by the Indian government to change demography of the Muslim-majority state, where some groups have been fighting against Indian rule for independence, or for unification with neighboring Pakistan.

Pakistan has also downgraded diplomatic relations with India, suspended trade and expelled the Indian high commissioners.

The Himalayan region is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full.

Since they were partitioned in 1947, the two countries have fought three wars -- in 1948, 1965 and 1971 -- two of them over Kashmir.

According to several human rights organizations, thousands of people have reportedly been killed in the conflict in the region since 1989.