Amid escalating hostilities with India, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has urged for an independent international investigation into the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, which left 26 dead. Speaking to The New York Times, Asif expressed Pakistan’s willingness to cooperate with foreign investigators, countering India's accusations of Pakistani involvement.

While India cited links to Pakistan-based groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Asif denied any operational presence of such outfits in Pakistan. Meanwhile, bilateral ties have worsened, with India suspending the Indus Waters Treaty and Pakistan shutting its airspace to Indian flights.

Asif warned that further escalation could endanger regional stability, accusing India of leveraging the attack for political purposes without credible evidence.

A relatively unknown outfit, Kashmir Resistance, has claimed responsibility for the assault, but Indian agencies believe it to be a proxy for Pakistan-based militants.