Dhaka, April 27 -- Pakistan's leader said on Saturday he was ready to defend the country after a deadly attack in Indian-run Kashmir that New Delhi blames on Islamabad, sending already fraught relations into a tailspin with soldiers exchanging gunfire across their contested frontier.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also called for a "neutral investigation," with India accusing Pakistan of supporting "cross-border terrorism" after gunmen carried out the worst attack on civilians in Muslim-majority Kashmir for a quarter of a century.
Islamabad denies involvement in the April 22 attack targeting tourists in Pahalgam, where a gang of gunmen killed 26 men.
"Our valiant armed forces remain fully capable and prepared to defend the country's sover...