ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said it would not take military action against nuclear-armed rival India for stripping Kashmir of its autonomy, though tensions over the disputed Himalayan region remained high, as troops there kept it under lockdown.

The statement from Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi eased fears of an all-out clash between the South Asian neighbors, which have fought two of their three wars over the Himalayan region — but none since they both gained nuclear weapons.