FILE PHOTO: India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses an election campaign rally ahead of the Karnataka state assembly elections in Bengaluru, India, May 8, 2018. REUTERS/Abhishek N. ChinnappaNEW DELHI/SRINAGAR - 15 February 2019: India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned Pakistan on Friday to expect a strong response to a bomb attack in the disputed region of Kashmir that killed 44 paramilitary policemen, ratcheting up tension between the nuclear-armed neighbours.The car bomb attack on a security convoy on Thursday was the worst in decades of insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir, India's only Muslim majority state. The Pakistan government responded with a stiff denial, calling the attack a matter of "grave concern. "As outrage and demands for revenge flooded Indian social media, Arun Jaitley, one of the most senior figures in the Hindu nationalist-led government, told reporters India would work to ensure the "complete isolation" of Pakistan.The first step, he said, would include removing most favoured nation (MFN) trade privileges that had been accorded to Pakistan - though annual bilateral trade between the countries is barely $2 billion.The last major attack in Kashmir was in 2016 when Jaish militants raided an Indian army camp, killing 20 soldiers. Weeks later, Modi ordered a surgical strike on suspected militant camps across the border in Pakistan Kashmir.When he swept to power in 2014, Modi vowed to pursue a tough line with mostly Pakistan.

Source: Egypt Today February 15, 2019 11:26 UTC