‘After the Pahalgam attack, India may launch an attack at any time’: Pak Defence Minister

By a Staff Reporter: Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Monday warned that an Indian military strike was "imminent" following last week's deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists. The incident has sharply escalated tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

The gruesome attack, allegedly carried out by terrorists linked to The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has sparked widespread outrage across India, with strong calls for immediate retaliation against Pakistan, which New Delhi accuses of harbouring terrorist groups on its soil.

Khawaja Muhammad Asif stated that, “We have reinforced our forces because it is something which is imminent now. In that situation, some strategic decisions have to be taken, and those decisions have been made”. 

He further revealed that the Pakistani military had briefed the government on the possibility of an Indian assault, though he refrained from disclosing specific intelligence details.

Asif also said that, “Pakistan is on high alert and would only resort to its nuclear arsenal if there is a direct threat to our existence”. 

April 22, Pahalgam Terror Attack, described as the deadliest civilian massacre in Kashmir in recent years, reportedly saw the terrorists target victims based on their religion. In a swift response, New Delhi suspended the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan and downgraded diplomatic ties, also cancelling all valid visas issued to Pakistani nationals.

In a retaliatory move, Pakistan suspended bilateral trade, closed its airspace to Indian airlines, and warned that any attempt by India to divert water under the IWT would be considered an act of war.

In this situation, the warning of the Pakistani minister has increased the tension very much. The people of both the countries are apprehensive that this situation could come at any time in the upcoming days.