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Alsharq Tribune- Zainab Hussin
The Pakistani government has proposed a plan to India that could prevent a new regional war between the two countries, according to Reuters.
Pakistan has called on India to conduct a neutral investigation into the high-profile killings of tourists in Kashmir, which brought the countries to the brink of a new regional war. Islamabad has expressed its readiness to cooperate and seek peace with New Delhi.
"Pakistan is fully prepared to cooperate with any neutral investigators to ensure that the truth is uncovered and justice is served. Pakistan remains committed to peace, stability and the following of international norms but will not compromise on its sovereignty," said Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to pursue the attackers to the ends of the earth and stated that all those who planned and carried out the attack will be punished in ways unimaginable. Indian politicians and others have increasingly called for a military response against Pakistan.
Murder of tourists and escalating tensions between countries
The armed group attacked tourists in the Kashmir region on Wednesday, April 23, killing 20 people. This incident is considered the deadliest in recent years.
After the attack, India and Pakistan took a series of measures against each other: Islamabad closed its airspace to Indian airlines, and New Delhi suspended a 1960 agreement regulating the joint use of water from the Indus River and its tributaries.
Both countries, which fully claim Kashmir and partially control it, also exchanged gunfire along their de facto border after four years of relative calm.
The Indian Army stated that it responded to unprovoked gunfire from numerous posts of the Pakistani Army, which began around midnight on Friday along the 740-kilometer de facto border dividing Indian and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir. No casualties were reported.
Destroyed houses of the suspects
India has identified two of the three suspected militants as Pakistanis, although Islamabad denies its involvement in the Tuesday attack that resulted in the deaths of 25 Indian and one Nepali tourist.
Additionally, Indian security forces have demolished the homes of at least five suspected militants in Kashmir, including one believed to have participated in the recent attack.
The rising tensions between the two countries have also affected business. Indian airlines, such as Air India and IndiGo, are preparing for increased fuel prices and longer travel times as they alter international flight routes.
