New Delhi: Facing intense diplomatic backlash after India’s tough retaliatory steps over the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan has once again denied any involvement in the massacre of 26 people in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22. Speaking to The New York Times, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif asserted that Islamabad was “ready to cooperate” with any investigation carried out by “international inspectors.” Asif also accused New Delhi of using the incident as a justification for punitive actions, alleging that India’s decisions were aimed at serving “domestic political purposes.”
After the attack, India announced a series of strong measures against Pakistan. These included the expulsion of Pakistani military attachés, suspension of the Indus Water Treaty and the immediate closure of the Attari land border transit. In addition, Pakistanis who had entered India through Attari were ordered to leave the country by May 1.
Asif warns of escalation
Claiming that India was acting “without any proof or investigation,” Asif warned that further escalation could have disastrous consequences for the region. “We do not want this war to flare up, because flaring up of this war can cause disaster for this region,” NYT quoted him as saying. The Resistance Front (TRF), a known proxy of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam killings. Intelligence officials believe TRF consists of highly trained militants from LeT’s core ranks.
During the interview, Asif claimed that Lashkar-e-Taiba was now “defunct” and incapable of planning or executing attacks from Pakistani soil. However, in a separate interview with Sky News, Asif made a major admission regarding Pakistan’s past role in supporting terrorist groups.
Pressed by anchor Yalda Hakim on Pakistan’s history of aiding terror outfits, Asif responded, “We have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about three decades, and for the West, including Britain.” He described it as a strategic mistake that Pakistan is still paying for.
Police name Pahalgam attackers
Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Police released sketches and names of three terrorists linked to the Pahalgam attack. Two of them, identified as Musa alias Suleiman and Talha alias Ali Bhai, are believed to be Pakistani nationals, while the third, Adil Hussain Thoker, is a local from Anantnag district. Authorities have announced a reward of Rs 20 lakh for information leading to the capture of each of the three militants.
