ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday thanked China’s envoy for endorsing his offer to conduct a neutral probe into the Pahalgam attack, following India’s actions against Pakistan that have heightened the risks of a military confrontation between the two countries.
The April 22 attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam killed 26 people, mostly tourists, marking one of the deadliest assaults in the region since 2000. India has implied cross-border links without evidence, while Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership have rejected the accusation and called for a neutral probe.
Tensions have since spiked, with Pakistan reinforcing its forces and India’s premier granting “operational freedom” to his military. As Pakistan, in the early hours of Wednesday, said it expected an incursion from India within the next 24-36 hours, diplomatic channels from other countries have been engaged to prevent a possible military confrontation.
Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong called on Shehbaz at the PM House in Islamabad today, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.
The premier thanked China for “endorsing his sincere offer to conduct a credible, neutral and transparent international investigation into the Pahalgam incident”.
He also conveyed that India’s “belligerent actions could distract Pakistan from its ongoing counterterrorism efforts” against the militant Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS-K), Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), who were “operating from inside Afghanistan”.
The past few years have witnessed a rise in the frequency of attacks targeting Chinese nationals working in Pakistan, with 20 Chinese citizens killed and 34 injured in terrorist attacks across the country since 2021.
On Tuesday, the military accused India of activating its “assets” to intensify terrorist attacks in Pakistan. The military spokesperson specifically cited the recent killing of 54 TTP militants during an infiltration attempt, saying it was “sponsored, facilitated, and abetted by India”.
In his meeting with the Chinese envoy, PM Shehbaz asserted that Pakistan had always condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. He highlighted that as a “frontline state” in the war against terrorism, Pakistan had sacrificed over 90,000 lives and suffered over $152 billion in economic losses.
Ambassador Zaidong thanked the prime minister for sharing Pakistan’s perspective on the “emerging situation due to Indian baseless propaganda and unilateral action”, APP quoted a press release from the PMO as saying.
He also affirmed that China would always support Pakistan to achieve the common desire of both countries to secure peace and stability in South Asia.
PM Shehbaz conveyed his warm wishes to President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, expressing sincere thanks to China for its strong and steadfast support to Pakistan amid the prevailing situation in the region.
Recalling a telephonic conversation between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and FM Ishaq Dar on April 27, the premier thanked China for understanding Pakistan’s principled position vis-à-vis India’s actions since April 22.
Speaking about India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), PM Shehbaz said its “decision to weaponise water was extremely regrettable”, stressing that there was no provision for either party to walk away unilaterally from its commitments under the pact.
The premier underscored that the peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute was the only way to ensure lasting peace in South Asia.
