Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday hit out at Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for his statement that he was ready for a “neutral and transparent investigation” into the Pahalgam terror attack, saying Pakistan had initially denied the incident and instead blamed India.

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“They (Pakistan) didn’t even acknowledge at first that anything had happened in Pahalgam. Instead, they were the first to say that India had orchestrated it. Now, when those who initially blamed us are making statements, it’s difficult to say anything further. I don’t want to comment on their remarks. What happened is very unfortunate and should not have happened,” Omar told media persons.

Rattled by the flurry of actions taken by the Indian government, PM Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said Pakistan was prepared for any misadventure and also willing to support a “neutral and transparent” investigation into the terror attack at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir.

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Addressing a passing-out parade at the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul, Shehbaz Sharif said, “The recent tragedy in Pahalgam is yet another example of this perpetual blame game, which must come to a grinding halt. Continuing with its role as a responsible country, Pakistan is open to participating in any neutral, transparent and credible investigation.”

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India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, closed the Attari Integrated Check Post, and cancelled the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani nationals.

The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, that had claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack, has now denied any role as the issue gets heated up and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised a befitting punishment to the perpetrators of the dastardly attack. 

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Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar also rebuked Pakistan PM’s offer, saying, “What investigation will these people do? Can a thief ever investigate his own theft?... The Prime Minister of Pakistan is saying this out of fear. This fear is good, he should have this fear.... When Pakistan is not prepared, that’s when we will hit them, and we will hit them hard.”

Amid the tensions, Pakistani troops have resumed unprovoked firing along the Line of Control (LoC) and targeted Indian positions for the second consecutive night, prompting retaliation from Indian forces.

Also Read | Pak Senate passes resolution denying any link to Pahalgam attack; UN urges for ‘maximum restraint’