Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has dismissed Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s reported statement about Pakistan’s readiness to participate in a “neutral and credible investigation” into the Pahalgam terror attack. Abdullah emphasized that Pakistan initially blamed India for the attack before acknowledging the incident.
“First of all, they did not even recognize that something had happened in Pahalgam. Initially, they blamed India for it,” Abdullah said, expressing skepticism over the sincerity of Pakistan’s recent statement. He added, “For the people who made allegations against us in the first place, it is difficult to say anything about it now. I don’t want to give much importance to their statements.”
The Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 left 28 people dead, including 27 tourists and a local pony guide, marking the deadliest terror attack on civilians in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370. While Pakistan-based terror group The Resistance Front (TRF) initially claimed responsibility for the attack, they later retracted their statement when tensions escalated between India and Pakistan.
Omar Abdullah, while dismissing Pakistan’s offer, expressed sorrow over the tragic loss of life, saying, “Whatever happened is unfortunate and it should not have happened.”
