Amid increasing international pressure after the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated that his country is open to taking part in a ”neutral, transparent and credible” probe into the incident. Sharif’s comments came on Saturday during a passing out parade at the Pakistan Military Academy in Kabul, as reported by the Pakistan Dawn newspaper.
”As the world’s frontline state against terrorism, against terrorism, we have endured immense loss,” Sharif stated, referring to over 90,000 casualties and economic damages surpassing $600 billion. He added, ”Pakistan is open to participating in any neutral, transparent and credible investigation,” placing Islamabad as a responsible actor on the global stage.
Asif’s statement on funding terrorist group raises eyebrows
Sharif’s statement comes after Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khwaja Asif made a surprising acceptance during an interview with Sky News presenter Yalda Hakim. In the viral video, Asif acknowledged that Pakistan had historically supported and funded terrorist groups during the post 9-/11 period and the Cold War.
”We have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about three decades,” Asif stated. ”If we had not joined the war against the Soviet Union and later on the war after 9/11, Pakistan’s track record would have been unimpeachable.”
His comments have been criticised globally, further complicating Pakistan’s stand as India rallies international support.
Pakistan Defence Minister calls for international probe
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Asif has also called for a global investigation into the terror attack in Pahalgam. In an interview with The New York Times, Asif stated Islamabad’s willingness to cooperate with an international probe on the incident. On the other hand, India has pointed out Pakistani involvement in the attack and Pakistan has firmly denied any role. The incident has mounted tensions between the two nuclear-armed countries, which have long disputed claims on the Kashmir region. Asif mentioned that Pakistan continues to be open to collaborating with global investigators to find out the facts involving the attack.
(With inputs from ANI)