New Delhi: In their first response to Indian government’s move to revoke the special status of Kashmir, Pakistan stated that the country’s unilateral steps will not change the “disputed” status of Kashmir and announced the right to exercise “all possible options”.On Monday morning, the Indian government took a series of cabinet decisions and tabled parliamentary resolutions that would end the special status of Kashmir under the Indian constitution.“Pakistan strongly condemns and rejects the announcements made today by the Indian Government regarding the Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir,” said a statement issued by Pakistan foreign ministry.It reiterated that Kashmir is an internationally-recognised disputed territory and would remain so.“No unilateral step by the Government of India can change this disputed status, as enshrined in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions. Nor will this ever be acceptable to the people of Jammu & Kashmir and Pakistan,” said the release.Further, Pakistan also asserted that it “will exercise all possible options to counter the illegal steps” as it was “party to this international dispute”.The statement concluded with Pakistan reiterating its “abiding commitment to the Kashmir cause” and continued “political, diplomatic and moral support” to Kashmiri self-determination.Also read | Historically, UTs Become States. Now the Centre Is Reversing That Trend in J&K.Meanwhile, Pakistan president has convened a joint session of parliament to discuss the latest developments on Tuesday at 11 am local time.Further, Pakistan army chief Qamar Bajwa has summoned a Corps Commanders’ conference tomorrow, as per Pakistani media reports.According to television channel Geo, Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that there was a “threat of genocide and ethnic cleansing” in Kashmir after the revocation of Article 370.He stated that Pakistan would request United Nations, Organisation of Islamic Conference and other countries “not to remain silent on this issue”.Qureshi also invoked the name of former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to note that he had also accepted Kashmir as a “disputed territory”.On Monday evening, Qureshi took to Twitter to state that Pakistan condemned and rejected India’s announcements “regarding Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir.”“We intend to firmly highlight our stance in our meetings with the US delegation visiting Pakistan and with the International Community at large,” he wrote.Pakistan reaffirms it’s abiding commitment to the Kashmir cause and its political, diplomatic and moral support to the people of Occupied Jammu and Kashmir for realization of their inalienable right to self-determination. 2/2 https://t.co/f6zBVKeoMJ— Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) August 5, 2019Pakistani minister for human rights asserted that Islamabad should approach the International Court of Justice and move the United Nations Security Council.Also read | The Backstory of Article 370: A True Copy of J&K’s Instrument of AccessionAs Kashmir was put under lockdown and the Line of Control had seen rising cross-border firing in the last week, Pakistan had reiterated the hope that India would accept US President Donald Trump’s mediation offer.During Khan’s visit to the White House last month, Trump had offered to be a mediator and also surprisingly claimed that Indian PM had asked him to intervene in the Kashmir matter. This claim was disputed by India and US officials later walked it back.However, Trump again brought up the Kashmir mediation offer on August 2, just before US secretary of state Mike Pompeo met with Indian external affairs minister S. Jaishankar in Bangkok.Jaishankar said that he told Pompeo that “any discussion on Kashmir, if at all warranted, will only be with Pakistan and only bilateral”.India’s position, till now, had been that it was ready to talk on all issues with Pakistan, including Kashmir, but only in an environment free of terror.Meanwhile, Pakistani opposition leaders have also come out in support of Kashmir.Pakistan Peoples Party leader, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari supported the convening of the joint session of parliament as the intentions of “extremist” clear.The leader of the opposition in National Assembly, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Shahbaz Sharif said that “all of Pakistan is united” in the matter of national interest.His niece and daughter of jailed former Prime Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz Sharif who had been leading a campaign against the government, also blamed Imran Khan for taking his eye off the ball.