Pakistan Denies Involvement in Pahalgam Attack, Calls for International Probe
Pakistan is denying any involvement in the deadly attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that claimed the lives of 26 people on April 22nd. The country’s defence minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, told the New York Times that Pakistan is ready to cooperate with any international investigation into the incident. This comes after India took strong action against Pakistan, including expelling Pakistani military attaches, suspending the Indus Water Treaty, and closing the Attari land transit post.
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India says it’s using these measures because of the attack, but Pakistan’s defence minister claims India is using the tragedy for political gain and is acting without proof. He also expressed concern about escalating tensions, saying a war would be disastrous for the region.
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The Resistance Front (TRF), a group linked to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack. While Asif told the NYT that LeT is no longer a threat and is defunct, he made a surprising admission in an interview with Sky News. He acknowledged Pakistan’s past support of terrorist organizations, calling it “dirty work” done for the West.
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Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have released sketches and identities of three terrorists suspected of carrying out the attack. They are offering a reward of ₹20 lakh for information leading to their capture. Two of the suspects are believed to be Pakistani nationals, while the other is a local Kashmiri resident.
