Pakistan offers neutral probe after India threats

AFP | Islamabad

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Pakistan’s leader said his nation was open to a neutral investigation yesterday into a deadly attack in India’s Kashmir that New Delhi blames on Islamabad, and that has sent fraught relations into a tailspin with soldiers exchanging gunfire across their contested frontier.

Islamabad denies involvement in the April 22 attack on tourists in Pahalgam, where a gang of gunmen killed 26 men in the worst attack on civilians in Kashmir for a quarter of a century. But India is adamant in it is accusation that Pakistan is supporting “cross-border terrorism”. Indian police have issued wanted posters for three men -- two Pakistanis and an Indian -- who they say are members of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba group, a UN-designated terrorist organisation.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif yesterday said the country was “open to participating in any neutral, transparent and credible investigation” into the attack. Indian security forces have launched a giant manhunt for those responsible for the attack in Pahalgam, blowing up homes in Kashmir of Indian citizens suspected to be linked to the attack. Both sides have imposed a slew of diplomatic measures, and exchanged gunfire in Kashmir two times in as many days.

India’s army said “unprovoked” small arms firing was carried out by “multiple” Pakistan army posts overnight. “Indian troops responded appropriately with small arms,” it said in a statement, adding that no casualties were reported. There was no confirmation from Pakistan, but both sides had confirmed gunfire between their respective forces the previous night.

“Our valiant armed forces remain fully capable and prepared to defend the country’s sovereignty,” Sharif said at a military ceremony in Abbottabad. Inda’s information ministry yesterday warned broadcasters to “refrain from showing live coverage of defence operations” in the “interest of national security”, and referencing the 1999 Kargil conflict with Pakistan.

The United Nations has urged the neighbours, which have fought multiple wars, to show “maximum restraint”. Iran’s foreign ministry said yesterday that Tehran has offered to play mediator, a day after a senior Saudi official said Riyadh was trying to “prevent an escalation”.