The Pahalgam terror attack has created a dangerous standoff in the Indo-Pak subcontinent. The April 22 attack in Pahalgam saw 26 people, mostly tourists, killed in what is perhaps the deadliest armed attack in the disputed territory since the year 2000.

Responsibility for the attack was claimed by an outfit named The Resistance Front (TRF). In a fit of anger and overreaction, India announced a slew of  aggressive measures, including a unilateral move to suspend the 1960 Indus Water Treaty, which was mediated by the World Bank. India also shut its borders and downgraded diplomatic ties over what its government and media claimed was Islamabad’s alleged support for cross-border terrorism.

Promptly, Pakistan came out with its own response, putting all trade, bilateral pacts and flights off-limits for its eastern neighbour. It also called on India to “refrain from its reflexive blame game and cynical, staged managed exploitation of incidents like Pahalgam to further its narrow political agenda”. Addressing a passing-out parade at the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said: “The recent tragedy in Pahalgam is yet another example of this perpetual blame game, which must come to a halt. Continuing with its role as a responsible country, Pakistan is open to participating in any neutral, transparent and credible investigation.” Shehbaz Sharif criticised India for levelling baseless allegations and making false accusations without credible investigation or verifiable evidence.

Referring to India’s belligerent move to suspend the Indus Basin Treaty, PM Shehbaz Sharif said: “Water is a vital national interest of Pakistan, our lifeline […] Let there be no doubt at all that its availability will be safeguarded at all costs and under all circumstances. Any attempt to stop, reduce or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty would be responded to with full force and might. Nobody should remain under any kind of false impression and confusion.”

PM Shehbaz Sharif’s statement came a day after Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told the New York Times in an interview that Pakistan was “ready to cooperate” with “any investigation which is conducted by international inspectors”. The minister said India had used the aftermath of the militant attack as a pretext to suspend the IWT and for domestic political purposes. “India is taking steps to punish Pakistan, without any proof, without any investigation. We do not want this war to flare up, because flaring up of this war can cause disaster for this region,” Asif asserted. He rebutted India’s allegations by pointing out that the proscribed organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was “defunct” and not in a position to plan or conduct attacks from Pakistan. According to NYT, Asif said the attack could have been a “false flag” operation carried out by the Indian government to serve its domestic political interests.

Alarmed by the rising tension between the two nuclear-armed nations, sane voices around the world have called for restraint by both India and Pakistan. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed “deep concern” over the escalating tensions and urged both countries to exercise “maximum restraint”. He called for the dispute to be resolved peacefully through “meaningful mutual engagement” and said the UN was closely monitoring the situation, though he has not directly communicated with either country’s leadership. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York that issues between the countries should be resolved peacefully because there is much at stake, given both countries’ nuclear-armed status and a history of past wars. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia and Iran have offered mediation to resolve the crisis. The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Iran, both countries with strong relationships with India and Pakistan, have made phone calls to Islamabad and New Delhi, offering to mediate in the matter.

India’s aggressive posture has created a war-like situation in the region and this calls for active international diplomacy to prevent the crisis from reaching the point of no return. The media in India is beating the war drum and there are reports of exchange of fire across the Line of Control in Kashmir. Troops on both sides of the border are said to be on high alert.

There is an urgent need to defuse the situation. To this end, the UN Secretary General can play a crucial role. He should plan an emergency visit to the region and engage in shuttle diplomacy between New Delhi and Islamabad to cool tempers. The US, Russia and other world powers should also join in the peacemaking efforts before the Modi regime in India embarks on a suicidal misadventure endangering peace in the region and beyond.

Pakistan has called for a neutral, international probe into the Pahalgam tragedy. It is important that the attack should be investigated by an impartial international commission of experts to ascertain the true facts behind the incident so that the perpetrators of the attacks are traced and punished. On its part Pakistan is fully prepared to cooperate with neutral investigators to ensure that the truth is uncovered and justice is done.