Pakistan calls for neutral probe into Kashmir attack

Pakistan has called for a "neutral" investigation into the deadly attack on Indian tourists in Kashmir that New Delhi has blamed on Islamabad, stressing its willingness to cooperate and its commitment to peace.

The attack, which took place on April 22, left 25 Indian and one Nepali tourist dead. Indian authorities have identified two of the three suspected assailants as Pakistani nationals. Islamabad, however, has firmly denied any involvement, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

"Pakistan is fully prepared to cooperate with any neutral investigators to ensure that the truth is uncovered and justice is served," Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said during a press conference.

"Pakistan remains committed to peace, stability and the following of international norms but will not compromise on its sovereignty," he added.

In response to the attack, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to pursue the perpetrators relentlessly. "Those who planned and carried it out will be punished beyond their imagination," he said, promising to pursue the attackers to "the ends of the earth."

The violence has sharply escalated tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. Pakistan has closed its airspace to Indian airlines, while India has suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, which governs the sharing of the Indus River and its tributaries.

The long-disputed region of Kashmir, fully claimed by both countries but divided between them, has also seen renewed military exchanges. According to the Indian Army, it responded to "unprovoked" small arms fire from several Pakistani Army posts along the 740-kilometre (460-mile) Line of Control (LoC) around midnight on April 25. No casualties were reported. The Pakistani military has not responded to requests for comment.

Meanwhile, Indian security forces have intensified operations to track down the suspects. Authorities have demolished the homes of at least five suspected militants, including one believed to have participated in the latest attack.

By Vugar Khalilov