HAMILTON, Canada

Pakistan's UN envoy on Friday warned that growing tensions with India could lead to a dangerous conflict, urging the world to help prevent escalation and support a neutral investigation of the April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26.

During a news conference, ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad criticized India's "unjustified actions and unilateral measures" following the Pahalgam attack, saying they have heightened tensions and threaten regional peace.

New Delhi has claimed the attack had "cross-border links," which Islamabad denied, and demanded a joint investigation into the incident.

Both countries have taken diplomatic measures at each other, including cancelling visas for each other’s citizens and recalling diplomatic staff.

India has also suspended its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty, a 1960 water use and distribution agreement with Pakistan. Islamabad says any attempt to divert or stop the flow of water will be considered an "act of war."

​​​​​​​In the last several days, the armies of the two South Asian countries have also exchanged small arms fire across the disputed Kashmir border — the Line of Control.

Stressing that Pakistan is "fully prepared to defend" its sovereignty and territorial integrity, Ahmad said: "Should India resort to aggression, Pakistan will exercise its inherent and legitimate right to self-defense, as enshrined in the UN Charter."

"Escalation in South Asia, that's a region which is home to close to 2 billion people, favors none. It is time for sanity to prevail and to allow dialog and diplomacy to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control," the Pakistani envoy stressed.

"India's conduct marked by a disregard for international law and regional stability is incendiary and dangerous, with the potential for far-reaching and disastrous consequences," he said.

Criticizing India for politicizing the issue of terrorism, he said: "The point is that India has used, over the period of years, this bogey of terrorism, presented itself as a victim of terrorism, while Pakistan itself is the biggest victim of terrorism. So, they have used this --they've abused this, actually -- to promote certain political objectives."

He also claimed that India's rhetoric and actions are part of a broader strategy to divert attention from the Kashmir dispute.

"This is now a familiar template aimed at diverting attention from India's inability to suppress the inalienable right of the Kashmiri people to self-determination," he said.

Responding to Anadolu's question on global reactions to Pakistan's call for an international investigation, and how he evaluates the US response, he said: "I think what we have said in terms of a demand for credible, neutral and independent investigation of this incident, it is very logical, and it makes sense."

Arguing that India "often seen as acting as a judge and the jury," he said that "immediately following this incident, they were pointing fingers towards Pakistan, putting the blame out on Pakistan while there was no evidence, while there was not even a proper investigation that had been initiated."

He said Pakistan's call for "an independent, neutral investigation" did not receive a positive response from the Indian authorities.

Ahmad said support from the US and other major powers is crucial. "We believe it (the US) has an instrumental role to play, not just in tackling this incident, but also in resolving the Jammu and Kashmir dispute … The permanent members of the Security Council, and that includes the US, of course, need to do more."