Islamabad, Apr 26 (V7N)- Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has denied any involvement of Islamabad in the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, which left 26 people dead on April 22. He further described the attackers as "freedom fighters", demanding that India present concrete evidence if it claims Pakistan's involvement.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Dar alleged that India repeatedly blames Pakistan for attacks without proof. “They are playing the blame game again. If India has any evidence of Pakistan's involvement in the Pahalgam attack, they should present it to the world,” he said, as reported by BBC and the Times of India.

Referring to the assailants, Dar stated, “Those who carried out the attack may be freedom fighters.” He maintained that Pakistan had no role in the assault and urged transparency from the Indian side.

A similar stance was echoed a day earlier by Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, who said the attack was part of a “larger insurgency against India” and reiterated that Islamabad had no connection to the incident.

Despite these denials, The Resistance Front (TRF)—a shadow outfit of the banned militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)—has claimed responsibility for the attack.

In retaliation, India has launched several diplomatic and economic measures against Pakistan, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty. In response, Pakistan’s government led by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has introduced countermeasures, such as airspace restrictions and a ban on bilateral trade.

Amid the escalating tensions, firing was reported along the Line of Control (LoC) and the India-Pakistan international border. Media outlets have claimed that Pakistan shelled an Indian army base, prompting retaliatory fire. However, there have been no reports of casualties on either side so far.

The Baisaran Valley, located five kilometers from Pahalgam town and often dubbed the “Switzerland of India,” was the site of the horrific attack targeting tourists. Indian authorities have condemned the assault as the deadliest since the Pulwama attack in 2019 and vowed to pursue justice for the victims.

The international community has expressed growing concern, with the United Nations urging both India and Pakistan to exercise maximum restraint to avoid further escalation.

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