Pakistan seeks international investigation into Pahalgam attack

Pakistan called for international intervention to investigate the killing of 26 individuals at a tourist site in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) this week. Despite lacking substantial evidence, New Delhi swiftly accused Islamabad of orchestrating the attack.

The incident, reported on April 22, left 26 people dead, mostly tourists, and was described as the deadliest attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) since 2000. 

Since the incident, the two nuclear-armed neighbours have been slamming and taking measures against each other.

In this regard, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated to the New York Times that Pakistan was ready to cooperate with international investigators in any probe. 

Read: Senate unanimously passes resolution rejecting Indian allegations after Pahalgam attack

The minister said India suspended the water treaty under the pretext of the militant attack, using it for domestic politics. 

"We do not want this war to flare up, because it can cause a disaster for this region," Asif told the publication.

Moreover, the minister denounced India's claims of associating terrorist organisations with Pakistan, stating that Lashkar-e-Taiba had been defunct in Pakistan and had no ability to plan or conduct attacks from there. 

"They don't have any setup in Pakistan," he said. 

Read: Pakistan summons Indian diplomat, records protest on hostile actions 

He added that the remaining members had been apprehended, some were under house arrest, and others were in custody, and they had all been deactivated.

Asif described the Pahalgam incident as a "false flag" operation conducted by the Indian government to provoke a crisis. 

According to the minister, India had been searching for excuses to exit the treaty, which was a source of stability in the region, and now found one. 

Earlier, in a separate interview with Sky News, the Defence Minister warned India of an "all-out war" if India carried out any attack on Pakistan.