LAHORE: As its relationship with India deteriorated in the aftermath of a deadly attack in held Kashmir that killed 26 civilians, Pakistan warned its neighbour against any misadventure and offered willingness to join a neutral probe into the attack.

In a press conference in the provincial capital on Saturday, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said, “We don’t want war. We don’t support terrorism. If India takes one step towards war, then we will take two. Pakistan is handling the situation with patience. We will not compromise on our sovereignty,” he said.

He added Pakistan was ready to cooperate in any investigation spearheaded by a third country because Islamabad did not trust India to conduct a fair inquiry.

“In light of the recent incident, Pakistan officially demands a transparent and impartial investigation to check the facts surrounding the Indian attack,” the minister told media persons at the FIA provincial headquarters.

Mohsin Naqvi says ready to cooperate if neutral body spearheads investigation

“If a neutral body of any third country carries out an investigation into this incident... we are ready to cooperate with them,” he said, while also demanding a neutral inquiry into the Jaffar Express incident, in which Baloch militants took the train hostage in Bolan.

The minister said Pakistan would present evidence regarding Indian involvement in the hijacking.

The minister added that the “real culprits” of the Pahalgam attack should be exposed and this could only happen through an independent investigation by a third party.

“Pakistan is fully prepared to cooperate with neutral investigators to ensure that the truth is uncovered and justice is served,” he said, questioning the credibility of India.

According to Mr Naqvi, Pakistan has remained committed to peace, stability in line with international norms, but will not compromise on its sovereignty.

“We want to expose the drama of the Pahalgam attack,” he said. Mr Naqvi also raised several questions regarding the FIR’s contents and timing in the Pahalgam attack.

Mr Naqvi said the law enforcement agencies foiled “Indian-sponsored” terror attacks in the country during the last three years.

“We have caught seven IEDs (improvised explosive devices) during the last three days. India wanted terrorism in our cities through these IEDs,” he claimed.

“There is Indian involvement in terrorism in Pakistan,” he said. “Pakistan is making progress in terms of the economy and stability, so an incident like this (Pahalgam attack) harms us.”

“If anyone tries to harm us or our rights, all 240 million people are ready to fight to their last breath,” he warned.

Shortly after the attack on April 22, India pointed fingers towards Pakistan and downgraded ties with Islamabad.

The Narendra Modi-led government also asked Pakistani citizens in India to leave the country. In addition, it suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, which regulates water distribution between the two countries.

Pakistan termed the suspension of the accord an act of war and also shut its airspace for Indian planes. The government also asked Indian citizens to leave Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2025