Islamabad/New Delhi – Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday that Islamabad is open to a ‘neutral’ investigation on Tuesday’s attack by unidentified gunmen in the Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people, local broadcaster Geo News reported.

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