Breaking his silence amid escalating India-Pakistan tension, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said the country was open to any “neutral and transparent” investigation into the recent killing of 26 men at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Resistance Front, an offshoot of LeT has claimed responsibility for the attack.
According to the Dawn, addressing a passing-out parade at the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul, PM Shehbaz said: “The recent tragedy in Pahalgam is yet another example of this perpetual blame game, which must come to a grinding halt. Continuing with its role as a responsible country, Pakistan is open to participating in any neutral, transparent and credible investigation.”
Shehbaz Sharif criticised India for continuing with a “pattern of exploitation, levelling baseless allegations and false accusations without credible investigation or verifiable evidence”, the report noted.
“I also need to underscore the importance of Kashmir, as the Founder of the Nation Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah rightly said, Kashmir is the jugular vein of Pakistan. Unfortunately, this globally recognised dispute remains unresolved despite multiple UN resolutions," he said.
“Let there be no doubt, Pakistan shall continue to support the right of self-determination of the Kashmiri people till they achieve their rights through their great struggle and sacrifices.”
The prime minister asserted, “Pakistan, on the other hand, has always condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
“As the world’s frontline state against terrorism, we have endured immense loss, with out 90,000 casualties and economic losses beyond imagination, exceeding $600 billion,” he highlighted.
PM Shehbaz’s statement comes a day after Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told the New York Times in an interview that Pakistan was “ready to cooperate” with “any investigation which is conducted by international inspectors”.
After the terror attack, India has formally notified its decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty with immediate effect, and downgraded diplomatic ties with Islamabad.
In response, Pakistan on Thursday shut its airspace to Indian airliners and suspended all trade with India, including through third countries.