Pakistan open to ‘neutral' investigation on Kashmir attack: Premier
Sharif made the remarks while addressing a military parade during a ceremony at the Pakistan Military Academy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Sharif expressed concern over India's 'baseless allegations' following the Pahalgam incident, stating that the accusations were made 'without credible investigation or verifiable evidence'.
'Pakistan is open to participating in any neutral, transparent probe on Pahalgam attack,' Sharif said as the tensions between the two nuclear neighbours rose following the attack.
The prime minister also issued a stern warning against any attempts to stop or divert Pakistan's water share under the Indus Waters Treaty, emphasising that water is a 'vital, national interest'.
'I must mention that water is a vital, national interest of Pakistan – a lifeline for our 240mn people. Let there be no doubt at all, that its availability would be safeguarded at all costs and under all circumstances,' Sharif said.
Recalling the 2019 Pulwama crisis, Sharif said Pakistan had demonstrated its military capability through a 'measured yet resolute' response, and remains fully prepared to defend its sovereignty.
Despite the strong stance, Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to international norms and peaceful cooperation. 'We are a responsible state that believes in dialogue, but we will not compromise on our core interests,' he said.
Highlighting Pakistan's role in global counterterrorism efforts, Sharif noted that the country had suffered over 90,000 casualties and economic losses exceeding US$600bn.
'We have condemned terrorism in all its forms and will not allow misrepresentation of our stance,' he said.
New Delhi described the incident as a 'terror attack' with 'cross-border' links, blaming Pakistan for supporting it.
Islamabad, however, distanced itself from the attack, saying it was 'concerned' and extended condolences to the victims' families.
New Delhi later unilaterally suspended the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty, under which the two neighbours regulate the water share of six rivers in the Indus Basin.
Pakistan responded harshly on Thursday, saying there is no provision for unilaterally suspending the water-sharing agreement, which was mediated by the World Bank and signed in September 1960, warning that any attempt by India to divert or stop water to Pakistan would be considered an 'act of war'.
The two sides also suspended visas for each other's citizens and expelled army advisors, while Islamabad closed its airspace to Indian airlines.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured the country that the terrorists responsible for this attack, along with those who conspired to commit it, will face punishment beyond their imagination. The Prime Minister asserted that the time has come to eliminate the remaining strongholds of terrorism and that the willpower of 140 crore Indians will now break the backbone of the perpetrators of terror.
Meanwhile, a nationwide shutdown strike was held across Pakistan on Saturday to protest India's suspension of the water treaty with Islamabad.
Supported by several traders and business associations, the strike call was issued by Jamaat-e-Islami, a major mainstream religio-political party. The call received an effective response in the country's commercial capital Karachi, where major markets, along with business and shopping centres remained closed.
Footage aired by multiple local broadcasters showed markets, bazaars, and shopping centres remained closed in the capital Islamabad, as well as in Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Peshawar, and many other areas. Small markets and shops, including pharmacies in several localities, however, remained open.
Agencies
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Observer
5 days ago
- Observer
UK, India likely to unveil trade deal next week
NEW DELHI/LONDON: India and Britain are expected to seal a long-awaited free trade deal next week, two Indian government sources said, granting Indian textiles and electric vehicles some duty-free access to the UK market and easing British exports of spirits, cars and food. In May, both countries announced the conclusion of trade negotiations after three years of stop-start negotiations, aiming to increase bilateral trade, remove trade barriers and allow duty-free entry of goods. The countries are now preparing to formally sign the agreement and the announcement could coincide with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's expected visit to London next week, one of the Indian officials said. The trade pact will take effect in about a year, after it is approved by the British parliament and India's federal cabinet, the official added. Officials spoke on the condition of anonymity as the details are not public. "The trade agreement offers a win-win for both countries", the second Indian source said, adding that Indian consumers would gain access to Scotch drinks at lower prices, as import tariffs will drop to 75 per cent from 150 per cent immediately and further to 40 per cent over the next decade. On cars, India will cut duties to 10 per cent from 100 per cent under a quota system that will be gradually liberalised, the sources said. In return, Indian manufacturers are expected to gain access to the UK market for electric and hybrid vehicles, also under a quota regime, they added. India's commerce ministry did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Britain's trade ministry said that the countries were working to finalise the deal. "We have been working with India on a landmark trade deal that will deliver for British people and business", a UK government spokesperson said. India's trade ministry has said 99 per cent of Indian exports to Britain would benefit from zero duty under the deal, including textiles, while Britain will see reductions on 90 per cent of its tariff lines. An Indian trade delegation is separately holding talks in Washington, for a potential trade deal with the US as President Donald Trump ramps up his trade war with the threat of sharply higher tariffs from August 1. By 2030, India's middle class is projected to reach 60 million people and could rise to a quarter of a billion by 2050, according to British government estimates. India's overall import demand is forecast to grow by 144 per cent in real terms to $1.88 trillion by 2035, compared to 2021. — Reuters
Times of Oman
10-07-2025
- Times of Oman
Indian trade delegation to visit Washington as India-US trade talks enter final stage: Govt sources
New Delhi: India and the United States have stepped up their trade talks, with both sides actively engaging in virtual discussions. The government sources told ANI that an Indian trade delegation will revisit Washington DC soon for in-person negotiations aimed at finalising a trade deal. Sources familiar with the matter also said that besides in person meetings, Indian officials have also been engaged in several virtual meetings with their US counterparts in recent weeks. These meetings have helped set the stage for more detailed and comprehensive face-to-face talks. The upcoming visit by the Indian delegation is seen as a major step forward in advancing discussions on a possible trade agreement. The talks are focusing on both a broad-based trade agreement as well as targeted trade arrangements that could help resolve key issues between the two countries. The ongoing dialogue reflects a serious effort by both sides to deepen trade ties and reduce friction on trade-related matters. The discussions gained momentum after US President Donald Trump, who returned to office earlier this year, announced a tariff policy targeting countries with trade surpluses against the United States. India was among the countries likely to be affected by the proposed tariffs on exports to the US. However, the tariff implementation, initially planned for April, was paused for 90 days and later extended until August 1. This extension has provided both countries extra time to negotiate and try to reach on a mutually beneficial agreement. Officials said that the current round of discussions is critical, and the Indian delegation's visit could play a key role in finalising the deal before the extended deadline. Meanwhile the Donald Trump continues with his tariff policy as a tool to pressurize countries as on Wednesday, he announced a new list of tariffs targeting 14 countries. Products from Algeria, Libya, Iraq, and Sri Lanka will face a 30 per cent tariff, while Brunei and Moldova will see a 25 per cent tariff. Goods from the Philippines will attract a 20 per cent tariff. Brazil has been hit the hardest, with a steep 50 per cent punitive tariff, especially on copper. On July 8, Trump shared letters sent to Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korea's President Lee Jae-myung, stating that both countries would face a 25 per cent tariff from August 1. He later confirmed that similar letters had been sent to Malaysia and Kazakhstan, which will also face 25 per cent tariffs. According to the letters, Myanmar and Laos will face a 40 per cent tariff, while Indonesia will be subject to a 32 per cent tariff. Imports from Thailand and Cambodia will be taxed at 36 per cent, and from Bangladesh and Serbia at 35 per cent. South Africa and Bosnia and Herzegovina will see 30 per cent tariffs, and Tunisia will face a 25 per cent rate.
Times of Oman
10-07-2025
- Times of Oman
FATF report reinforces India's position on state sponsored terrorism
New Delhi: Global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog FATF has for the first time introduced the concept of state sponsored terrorism in its latest report, highlighting that such funding is a longstanding threat to international peace and security, stability of regional financial, and political systems. State sponsored terrorism means a state actively financing terrorist activities as part of its state policy. Before this, India had raised and identified state sponsored terrorism from Pakistan as a source of Terrorist Financing risk in its ML/TF risk assessment 2022. The finding of the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) July 2025 report reinforces India's long-standing position on state-sponsored terror financing. The FATF report also highlights the funding patterns of terrorist outfits LeT and JeM. It noted the use of e-commerce platform in the procurement of materials for a terrorist attack in India by terrorists. Referring to the Pulwama attack of February 2019, where a suicide bombing targeted a convoy of Indian security forces, resulting in the deaths of forty paramilitary soldiers. "India's authorities concluded that the attack was orchestrated by Jaish-I-Mohammed (JiM). Investigations revealed the cross-border movement of a large quantity of explosives into India. Notably, a key component of the improvised explosive device used in the attack-- aluminum powder--was procured through the EPOM Amazon," the FATF report read. "This material was used to enhance the impact of the blast," the report added. Among other revelations in the FATF report, it noted decentralisation as one of the most reported trends regarding worldwide terrorism activities in recent years. For example, FATF noted that Al Qaeda (AQ) has over the past years used a centralised consultation council, known as Majlis al-Shura, to manage key strategic decisions, including financial management. As the organisation has progressively shifted to a decentralised model, loose central elements are now relying on regional branches, such as Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Al-Qaida in the Arabic Peninsula (AQAP), Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), or Al Shabaab, which conduct operations and generate funds locally, FATF added. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an independent inter-governmental body that develops and promotes policies to protect the global financial system against money laundering, terrorist financing and the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The FATF Recommendations are recognised as the global anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CFT) standard. The last comprehensive update on terrorist financing (TF) risks was released in 2015. "Over the past decade, terrorists have demonstrated a persistent ability to exploit the international financial system to support their activities and carry out attacks. While the methods they employ can vary widely, the overall trend underscores their adaptability and determination. This continued abuse of the financial system poses a serious threat to global security and undermines international peace," read the executive summary of the report.
