Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Tuesday that India “leveled allegations against Pakistan without any evidence” after New Delhi accused Pakistani spy agency of involvement in last week’s deadly attack on security forces in the disputed region of Kashmir.
“You accused the Pakistani government without providing any evidence, or saying what Pakistan stands to gain from this,” Khan said on Tuesday in a recorded statement.
The Pakistani prime minister said his government was ready to cooperate with India on the Kashmir attack investigation.
More than 40 Indian soldiers were killed in the suicide attack in Pulwama district, ratcheting up tensions with its nuclear-armed rival Pakistan.
“I am offering: if you want any kind of investigations … we are ready,” Khan said.
“If you have any actionable intelligence, give it to us, I guarantee that we will take action. And we will take action not because of [external] pressure, but because these people would be enemies of Pakistan. If anyone is acting from Pakistani soil, they are harming us.
Top military commander in Indian-administered Kashmir on Tuesday accused Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of “controlling” the attack claimed by a Pakistan-based armed group, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).
“It was being controlled from across by ISI and Pakistan and JeM commanders,” Indian Lieutenant-General KJS Dhillon said at a press conference in Srinagar, capital of Indian-administered Kashmir state.
The Pakistan prime minister said his country was “ready to talk” with India over “terrorism”.
“… this is a new Pakistan … and it is in our interest not to allow anyone from Pakistan to go abroad and carry out attacks…”
“If Pakistan was doing such an important conference and visit … what fool would sabotage their own conference and visit like this?” he said referring to the visit of Saudi Crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.
India has said it has “incontrovertible evidence” of Pakistani involvement in the attack – the worst in more than two decades.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, facing an election by May, has warned Pakistan to expect a “strong response” to the bombing, raising fears of conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
On Tuesday, Pakistan also appealed to the United Nations to intervene.
“It is with a sense of urgency that I draw your attention to the deteriorating security situation in our region resulting from the threat of use of force against Pakistan by India,” Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi wrote to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
“It is imperative to take steps for de-escalation. The United Nations must step in to defuse tensions,” he wrote, blaming India for deliberately ratcheting up its hostile rhetoric for domestic political reasons.
JeM, an armed group said to be based in Pakistan that wants the Muslim-majority Kashmir to be part of Pakistan, claimed responsibility but the Pakistani government has denied any involvement.
“Attributing it to Pakistan even before investigations is absurd,” Qureshi said.
“India must be asked to conduct an open and credible investigation on Pulwama incident,” he said.
from A Viral Update http://bit.ly/2tBCoHr
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