Pakistan said on Thursday it was not looking at the military option and India urged its neighbour to rethink its decision to downgrade diplomatic ties.

“Pakistan is looking at political, diplomatic and legal options,” foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told a news conference in Islamabad.

“We’re not looking at the military option. We’re not,” he added.

Pakistan said it would ban the screening of Indian movies at the country’s cinemas.

In New Delhi, the external affairs ministry said: “The Government of India regrets the steps announced by Pakistan yesterday and would urge that country to review them so that normal channels for diplomatic communications are preserved.”

New Delhi said changing the status of Kashmir was an internal affair and was aimed at developing the region.