Pakistan offers to join ‘neutral’ probe into attack – Newspaper

• The prime minister says that Islamabad opens to participate in ‘any credible research’, calls India for ‘exploitation pattern’
• Shehbaz warns efforts to divert water to be answered “with all its strength and power”
• FM Give speaking with counterparts from several countries, discuss tensions with India
• UNSC hits Pahalgam’s attack; The UN spokesman says that Guterres paid ‘very close attention’ to the conflict

Islamabad: As the consequences of the Pahalgama attack that killed 26 civilians continue to reverberate throughout the region, Pakistan on Saturday requested an independent investigation into the deadly attack while criticizing India for leveling “accusations without foundation” without a credible investigation or evidence.

“Continuing with its role as responsible country, Pakistan is open to participating in any neutral, transparent and credible investigation,” said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during the Cadet Parade at the Pakistan Military Academy.

Prime Minister Shehbaz emphasized Pakistan’s position against terrorism, saying: “Pakistan has always condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations such as the world’s first line against terrorism.” He also criticized India for what he described as a “exploitation pattern” by leveling “accusations without foundation and false accusations without credible research or verifiable evidence.”

He also drew a hard line on the issue of water resources, emphasizing the continuous flow of water under the treaty of the Indo waters as a red line. “Water is a vital national interest in Pakistan, our life line,” he said. “Any attempt to stop, reduce or divert the flow of water that belongs to Pakistan under the Treaty of the Indo River would be responded with all its strength and power.”

![](https://www.dawn.com/news/1906274/what-indias-indus-waters-traty-suspension-For-pakistan

He averaged that Pakistan would not be dissuaded to support the cause of Kashmir, affirming: “That there is no doubt that Pakistan will continue to support the right of self -determination of the people of Cookmira until they achieve their rights through their great struggle and sacrifices.”

New Delhi did not immediately respond to Pakistan’s offer.

The offer of the prime minister occurred when several countries, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, China and the United Kingdom, intensified diplomatic efforts to relieve tensions among neighbors with nuclear weapons.

Chinese and British envoys met with the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ishaq Dar, on Saturday, while Dar also spoke with their counterparts in Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Egypt. All these discussions were dominated by the attack of the Pahalgama.

Tensions between the two countries rose after the attack, since India took a series of hard measures, including the suspension of the Indo Water Treaty, low degradation diplomatic relations, the revocation of visas for Pakistani citizens, including those of the bilateral trade of the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), and the bilateral trade of bilateral halting. Security measures also increased.

Pakistan reflected the steps of India and went further by prohibiting Indian airplanes from using their airspace and warning that it could suspend all bilateral agreements, including the historical Simla agreement, which supports relations between the two countries.

While India has stopped directly to Pakistan, officials have hinted at cross -border participation, a claim that Islamabad has firmly denied.

UNSC attack hits

The UN Security Council also condemned the “terrorist” attack in the Kashmir occupied by India, since the body of 15 members also published the declaration of Pakistan that describes its countermeasures of retaliation to the “reckless” steps of New Delhi announced following the incident of April 22.

In a press statement cited by the State ApplicationThe council members requested international responsibility and cooperation to take the perpetrators of Pahalgam’s attack before Justice.

They expressed their deepest sympathy and condolence to the families of the victims, as well as to the governments of India and Nepal, which extends the wishes for rapid recovery to the injured in the attack.

Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats for international peace and security, the members of the Council reaffirmed. They stressed that such acts are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, when and for anyone committed.

The council members urged all states, in accordance with their obligations under international law and the relevant resolutions of the Security Council, to actively cooperate with all relevant authorities.

They reaffirmed the need for states to fight for all threats of international peace and security resulting from acts of terrorism, in accordance with the UN Letter and other obligations under international law.

Meanwhile, the UN Security Council issued the press release issued at the end of the National Security Committee of Pakistan, which was chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday, as an official document. The Pakistani statement contained the reprisal decisions taken during the DFE of the NSC.

In a letter, Ambassador Ali Iphtikhar Ahmad transmitted the statement to the president of the UN Security Council for April, Jerome Bonnafont of France, on Friday.

“The letter has been issued as an official Document of the Security Council under the item of the Agenda ‘Question of India-Pakistan,” said the president of the Council to the members.

Separately, a spokesman for the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, said the UN Chief was paying “very close attention” to growing tensions between India and Pakistan.

“I do not agree with his comment, (but) we are paying a lot of attention to the situation between India and Pakistan,” said spokesman Stephane Dujarric to a New York Post reporter in the regular medium information session at the UN headquarters in New York.

After a question of the application if the UN chief planned to speak with the leaders of India and Pakistan upon his return from Rome, Dujarric said he hoped to have something later. Given this, the post reporter commented: “Incredible, by the way, two nuclear countries … could go to war can deserve so little attention …”? “I do not agree with his comment (but) we are paying close attention to the situation between India and Pakistan,” Dujarric replied.

Posted in Dawn, April 27, 2025