New Delhi, February 15: A day after a Jaish-e-Mohammed attack on security forces in which over 40 CRPF jawans were martyred, the Indian government stripped Pakistan of the Most Favoured Nation or MFN status for trade. "The Most Favoured Nation status which was granted to Pakistan, stands withdrawn," Union Minister Arun Jaitley said after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security on Friday.

Addressing the media, Jaitley said India will intensify its diplomatic efforts to corner Pakistan on the international level. "The Ministry of External Affairs will initiate all possible diplomatic steps which are to be taken to ensure the complete isolation from the international community of Pakistan of which incontrovertible is available of having a direct hand in this act," the minister said. "People who are responsible and have supported this act of terrorism will have to pay a heavy price for it," he added. Narendra Modi Observes Two-Minute Silence to Remember Martyrs, PM's Political Rallies Cancelled.

After the terror attack on the Indian Army base at Uri in northern Kashmir on September 18 last year, the government had initiated a review of the Most Favoured Nation that India had granted to Pakistan for bilateral trade. However, despite the Uri attack, the MFN status to Pakistan was not revoked. Jaish-e-Mohammed Carried Out Pulwama Attack to Avenge Killings of Maulana Masood Azhar's Nephew?

More than 40 CRPF personnel were martyred in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir when a Jaish suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district on Thursday. More than 2,500 Central Reserve Police Force personnel, many of them returning from leave to rejoin duty in the Valley, were travelling in the convoy of 78 vehicles when they were ambushed on the Srinagar-Jammu highway at Latoomode in Awantipora in south Kashmir.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 15, 2019 11:05 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).