He claimed the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam
was ‘yet another example’ of the “perpetual blame game, which must come to a grinding halt.”
Later, he said his ‘responsible country’ was open for an investigation into the matter.“Continuing with its role as a responsible country, Pakistan is open to participating in any neutral, transparent and credible investigation,” the Pakistani daily quoted Sharif as saying.
Shehbaz Sharif claimed the neighbouring country was levelling ‘baseless allegations’ and was even making ‘false accusations’ in the matter.
He added the cash-strapped nation has ‘always condemned terrorism,’ even after acknowledging that it has ‘endured immense loss,’ with thousands of casualties as well as “economic losses beyond imagination, exceeding $600 billion”.
The April 22 attack, one of the deadliest in the past few years, triggered India to announce several measures against Pakistan, which has time and again been accused of harbouring terrorists and funding terror groups that engage in cross-border infiltrations.
India downgraded diplomatic ties with the neighbouring nation, besides suspending the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme for all Pakistani nationals.
Since the attack, the Indus Waters Treaty has been put in abeyance by the Indian side, while Pakistan has closed down its airspace for the airlines of the neighbouring country.
On the suspension of the treaty, Sharif said his country would respond with full force if any attempt is made to stop or reduce the flow of water, stating that it was Pakistan’s “lifeline and a vital national interest”.
Shehbaz Sharif’s remark came a day after the country’s defence minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, had asked for an international investigation into the April 22 attack in Pahalgam.
According to a report by The New York Times, Asif stated that Pakistan was ‘ready to cooperate’ if any investigation is carried out in the matter by ‘international inspectors’.
