Pahalgam terror attack: Pakistan asks Gulf allies to help ease India tensions

Amid rising pressure from India after last week’s deadly attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with envoys from Gulf nations, seeking their support.

In separate meetings with the Saudi, Kuwait and UAE ambassadors, Shehbaz Sharif briefed them on Islamabad’s stance regarding the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, where 26 people were killed. India has blamed Pakistan for the attack, a charge Islamabad strongly rejects.

After a Pakistani minister cited ‘credible intelligence’ suggesting India planned military action over Pakistan’s alleged role in the Pahalgam tourist attack, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar received calls from US officials and other diplomats, according to Sharif’s office and Pakistan’s foreign ministry.

Sharif’s office stated that he had urged “brotherly countries, including Saudi Arabia, to press India for de-escalation and the defusal of tensions,” reiterating Pakistan’s commitment to peace and stability in South Asia.

Sharif told UAE’s ambassador, Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salem Al-Zaabi that Pakistan had no involvement in the attack on tourists and said he offered to join a credible, transparent and neutral international investigation, according to Sharif’s office.

In a meeting with the Saudi ambassador, Nawaf bin Saeed Al-Maliky, the prime minister briefed him about the latest situation. In response, the Saudi envoy said the Kingdom wanted to work with Pakistan for peace and security in the region, the statement said.

The Indian army said Friday in a statement it responded to “unprovoked” small arms fire from Pakistan for the eighth consecutive night in the Kupwara, Baramulla, Poonch, Naushera, and Akhnoor areas of Kashmir. There was no immediate comment from Pakistan.

No casualties were reported in the latest exchange of fire in Kashmir.

(With inputs from AP)

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