MOSCOW, May 5. /TASS/. A negotiation platform in Russia could be considered after the investigation of the terrorist attack in the popular tourist town of Pahalgam (Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir), Ambassador to Moscow Muhammad Khalid Jamali said in an interview with TASS.
When asked whether Pakistan is interested in Moscow as a venue for negotiations with India, the diplomat noted that this is "the next step," and at the moment it is necessary to see "whether the other side is ready for this or not."
"We made official statements after the incident in Pahalgam (on April 22, a terrorist attack took place in this tourist city, as a result of which 25 Indian citizens and 1 Nepalese were killed - TASS), when just 10 minutes later, the Indian media and leaders began to accuse Pakistan. Our National Security Committee held a meeting after the Indian Security Committee had already made some decisions. In response, our Prime Minister proposed conducting a neutral, fair, and thorough investigation. We are ready to cooperate," the ambassador said.
He also noted that in the UN Security Council resolution, Pakistan as a non-permanent member "worked closely and constructively with all international partners and issued a unified document," a statement that strongly condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
Terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir
On April 22, gunmen opened fire with machine guns in the popular tourist town of Pahalgam (Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir), killing 25 Indians and one Nepalese and injuring many more. The attackers, dressed in fatigues, fled. Indian intelligence services have discovered evidence of the involvement of the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in the assault carried out by terrorists from the Lashkar-e-Taiba group, The Hindustan Times reported, citing sources.
After the attack, India reduced the staff of its embassy in Islamabad by nearly half, declared the military advisors of the Pakistani diplomatic mission in India persona non grata, and closed the key Attari checkpoint on the border with Pakistan.
It also suspended an agreement with Islamabad on the allocation of water resources and the issuance of visas to Pakistani citizens, revoking previously issued ones starting on April 27.
The Pakistani Security Council said it was suspending all agreements with India and warned it would consider any Indian attempt to divert the water flow from the Indus River as an act of war.
Pakistan has closed its airspace to India, the Wagah checkpoint, and declared Indian defense, navy, and aviation advisors persona non grata. According to the Pakistani Security Council, it has evidence that India is supporting terrorist groups in the country.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level security meeting where he said the Indian armed forces are free to determine the method, objective, and timing of their response to the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir, sources said.