ISLAMABAD: Switzerland and Greece welcomed Pakistan’s proposal for an independent investigation into last month’s gun attack on a tourist hub in Indian-administered Kashmir, with the Swiss government offering to assist in facilitating a transparent probe, said the foreign office on Saturday.
The April 22 assault in Pahalgam, a popular destination in the disputed Himalayan region, killed 26 people. India blamed Pakistan for the attack, an allegation Islamabad has repeatedly denied. Tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors have surged in the wake of the attack, with India imposing trade and shipping restrictions and suspending its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty.
Pakistan has responded by calling for a neutral and transparent international investigation into the incident while warning that any military action would trigger a strong response despite Islamabad’s desire to avoid escalation.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar spoke over the phone with the foreign minister’s of Switzerland and Greece, presenting his country’s perspective on the situation.
“FM @ignaziocassis appreciated Pakistan’s commitment to peace, and endorsed its proposal for an investigation,” the foreign office said in a social media post, referring to Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, following a call between the two officials. “He expressed Switzerland’s readiness to offer its good offices and explore appropriate mechanisms to facilitate an impartial investigation.”
Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis also welcomed Pakistan’s proposal for an impartial inquiry and stressed the importance of restraint to prevent escalation and preserve regional stability, according to another post.
A day earlier, Dar spoke with European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas, who emphasized the need for dialogue between the two South Asian nuclear rivals to maintain regional peace and stability.
The Pakistani deputy prime minister told all three European officials that Islamabad rejects India’s allegations and unilateral actions like the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.
He described the Indian decision to hold the treaty “in abeyance” as a violation of international law.
Pakistan and India have fought multiple wars over Kashmir, which both countries claim in full but control in part. The latest diplomatic exchanges come as concerns rise over the potential for further escalation following the Pahalgam attack.
European states back Pakistan’s proposal for Kashmir inquiry following Pahalgam attack
https://arab.news/myqs7
European states back Pakistan’s proposal for Kashmir inquiry following Pahalgam attack
- Foreign office says Switzerland’s FM offered assistance with the probe during a call with Ishaq Dar
- Greek foreign minister urges restraint to prevent escalation between the two South Asian neighbors
Pakistani PM to attend Board of Peace summit as part of Islamic bloc effort — FO
- Board will hold its first meeting on Feb. 19 in Washington to discuss Gaza’s reconstruction
- Foreign office spokesman says no dates finalized for visit to Pakistan by Saudi Crown Prince
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan confirmed on Thursday that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will attend the first meeting of President Donald Trump’s newly formed “Board of Peace” in Washington on Feb. 19, positioning Islamabad as part of a joint Islamic diplomatic initiative focused on Gaza.
A UN Security Council resolution, adopted in mid-November, authorized the board and countries working with it to establish an international stabilization force in Gaza, where a fragile ceasefire began in October under a Trump plan on which Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas signed off.
Under Trump’s Gaza plan, the board was meant to supervise Gaza’s temporary governance. Trump thereafter said the board, with him as chair, would be expanded to tackle global conflicts. The board will hold its first meeting on Feb. 19 in Washington to discuss Gaza’s reconstruction.
Speaking at a weekly press briefing in Islamabad, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi confirmed Sharif’s participation.
“Yes, I can confirm that the prime minister will attend the Board of Peace meeting... He will be accompanied by the deputy prime minister,” Andrabi said, describing Pakistan’s participation as part of a broader collective engagement by Muslim-majority states.
“We have joined the Board of Peace in good faith… We are in it, not in isolation, not as one voice, but as a collective voice of eight Islamic Arab countries,” he said.
“Our collective voice is resonating in the Board of Peace, and we will continue to strive for the right and progress and prosperity of the people of Palestine. And also aimed at the long-term solution of the Palestine issue in order to create a state of Palestine in accordance with the pre-1967 border with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.”
Pakistan does not recognize Israel and has consistently supported a two-state solution based on pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.
Responding to reports about a possible visit to Pakistan by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Andrabi said no dates had been finalized.
“There was a reference to the visit in one of the joint statements [issued after two visits of Sharif to Saudi Arabia last year] that this visit will take place this year. But I am not aware of its timing as yet,” the FO spokesman said.
Andrabi also addressed Pakistan’s financial engagement with the United Arab Emirates, confirming that Abu Dhabi had rolled over $2 billion in deposits with Pakistan’s central bank.
“The tenure of the rollover is prerogative of the depositor. But what I can assure you is that through the positive role of the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister [Ishaq Dar], we can say that the rollover is assured,” he said.
Last month, Pakistan’s central bank confirmed the extension of the $2 billion deposit, which has helped support the country’s foreign exchange reserves as Islamabad implements reforms under an ongoing International Monetary Fund bailout program.
Andrabi added that Pakistan currently faces “no external finance gap.”
