A Hindu resident speaks as he joins Muslim demonstrators during a protest to condemn the terror attack in Pahalgam, in Mumbai on April 25, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that he is ready to defend the country following a deadly attack in Indian-run Kashmir that New Delhi blames on Islamabad.
“Our valiant armed forces remain fully capable and prepared to defend the country’s sovereignty,” Sharif said at a military ceremony on Saturday in Abbottabad.
He also called for a “neutral investigation,” after India accused Pakistan of supporting “cross-border terrorism” following an armed attack on civilians in Muslim-majority Kashmir.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have skyrocketed following a deadly assault in Indian-administered Kashmir that left 26 tourists dead on Tuesday.
India has accused Pakistan of involvement in the attack, alleging “cross-border” connections—a claim Pakistan firmly rejects.
Overnight Thursday, Indian and Pakistani forces clashed along Kashmir’s Line of Control (LoC), escalating tensions further after the Pahalgam shooting.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday that his country would “track and punish every terrorist and their backer,” vowing, “We will pursue them to the ends of the Earth.”
Pakistan’s Senate passed a resolution on Friday slamming a “campaign by the Indian government to malign the Pakistan government.”
Pakistan countered that India has not provided credible proof of its government’s role in the attack. Islamabad also cautioned that any move by India to scrap the Indus Waters Treaty would prompt a forceful response.
The UN has called for both nations to show “maximum restraint.” However, the standoff has raised fears of potential military conflict, as both sides have not ruled out further escalation.
Kashmir has been a contested region since 1947, with India and Pakistan each asserting full control over the Muslim-majority territory, parts of which are also claimed by China.
