Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addressed a passing-out parade at the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul, in which he also mentioned the Pahalgam terror attacks, saying that Islamabad is willing to participate in a 'neutral' probe. In his address, Sharif described water as a "vital, national interest" as he indicated that Pakistan will not "allow its water resources to be compromised". He added that "any attempt to stop, reduce, divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan under the Indus Water Treaty would be responded to with full force and might."
WATCH SHEHBAZ SHARIF'S SPEECH HERE
His comments have come after India suspended the Indus Water Treaty following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 Indian tourists.
Pakistan's Dawn reports the Pakistani PM as saying that Pakistan, as a 'responsible nation', is ready to participate in any "neutral, transparent and credible investigation" of the Pahalgam attacks.
Sharif accused India of using the Pahalgam terror attacks as a "pretext to suspend the Indus Water Treaty". He added that India was taking steps to punish Pakistan "without any proof, without any investigation", Dawn reports.
"As the world's frontline state against terrorism, we have endured immense loss, without 90,000 casualties and economic losses beyond imagination, exceeding USD 600 billion," PM Shehbaz stated.
Khawaja Asif exposes Pakistan
A day earlier, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had admitted that his country has been funding and backing terrorist groups.
In a video clip that went viral, Pakistan's Defence Minister was in conversation with Sky News's Yalda Hakim, when she asked him, "But you do admit, you do admit, sir, that Pakistan has had a long history of backing and supporting and training and funding these terrorist organisations?"nded to with full force and might".
Deteriorating ties between India and Pakistan
Following the terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, India and Pakistan have taken diplomatic measures and countermeasures. India decided to hold the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance, asked all Pakistani nationals to head back to their country, and designated the military advisors in the Pakistani Embassy in New Delhi as persona non grata.
Pakistan countered by closing its airspace for all Indian airlines, blocking the Wagah border, suspending all trade with India and revisiting the Simla agreement.
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