Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday expressed his willingness to allow a "neutral investigation" into the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, where 26 people, including a Nepalese national, were killed.
The attack, among the deadliest since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, has prompted strong diplomatic and security measures from the Indian government against Pakistan, which has been accused of providing support to the handlers and backers of the terrorist group involved, reports UNB.
Speaking at a graduation ceremony at the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Sharif said Pakistan is open to participating in a "credible" probe, reports NDTV.
"The recent tragedy in Pahalgam is yet another example of this perpetual blame game, which must come to a grinding halt.
Continuing with its role as a responsible country, Pakistan is open to participating in any neutral, transparent and credible investigation," Sharif said.
The Resistance Front (TRF), considered a proxy of the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Pakistan has repeatedly been accused of sheltering and financing terror outfits engaged in cross-border operations.
Indian intelligence reports suggest that Adil Ahmed Thoker, a key suspect in the attack, crossed over into Pakistan, received military training from terror groups there, and infiltrated into India six years later along with several Pakistani militants.
"Pakistan has always condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations," Sharif further said.
His comments come a day after Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told the New York Times that Pakistan was "ready to cooperate" with "any investigation which is conducted by international inspectors."
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