Pakistan Open to Joint Inquiry with India on Kashmir Attack
A political advisor to the Pakistani Prime Minister, Rana Sanaullah Khan, stated that Pakistan is willing to participate in an inquiry conducted by India into the recent attack in Kashmir. This initiative aims to uncover the truth and prevent further escalation of tensions between the two nations.
The United States has urged both India and Pakistan to “cooperate” and “ease tensions” in South Asia in light of the heightened conflict following the attack that recently occurred in Jammu and Kashmir.
Khan mentioned in an interview with a Pakistani news channel, Geo News, that a third-party investigation could also be considered, emphasizing that war would be catastrophic for both countries. Pakistan condemned the attack, which resulted in numerous fatalities.
Diplomatic Efforts
Washington has stepped in to mediate and mitigate the rising tensions between India and Pakistan, seeking to avert a direct confrontation. In a statement from State Department spokesperson, Tami Bruce, it was revealed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had separate phone conversations for the second time with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
During his dialogue with Sharif, Rubio stressed the need to condemn the terrorist attack that occurred in the Pahalgam area on April 22. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to hold terrorists accountable for their heinous acts. Rubio also encouraged Pakistani authorities to collaborate on the investigation into the attack. In his conversation with Jaishankar, Rubio expressed his sorrow over the loss of lives in the devastating terrorist incident in Pahalgam and reiterated the United States’ commitment to working with India in the fight against terrorism.
The statement further indicated that the U.S. encourages both nations to reduce tensions in South Asia, ensure peace and security, and restore direct communications between them.
Tensions escalated between India and Pakistan on April 22, when armed assailants shot at tourists in the Pahalgam region of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, leading to 26 deaths and multiple injuries. Indian officials indicated that the attackers “came from Pakistan,” while Islamabad accused India of launching a disinformation campaign against it. Meanwhile, authorities in the Pakistani-administered region of Kashmir closed over a thousand Quranic schools amid concerns over a potential military response from India in reaction to the deadly attack that took place last week.