Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Monday claimed that a military incursion by India appeared imminent, following the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which left 26 people dead.
Speaking to Reuters in Islamabad, Asif said, “We have reinforced our forces because it is something which is imminent now. So in that situation, some strategic decisions have to be taken, so those decisions have been taken.”
He added that India’s rhetoric in the aftermath of the attack had intensified and that the Pakistani military had briefed the civilian government about the possibility of military action from New Delhi.
India has blamed the attack on The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and claimed that preliminary investigations had identified two of the attackers as Pakistani nationals.
Islamabad has denied any involvement and called for an impartial, international investigation.
Asif also reiterated Pakistan’s stance on the use of nuclear weapons, saying that the country would resort to its strategic arsenal only in the event of an existential threat.
“Pakistan is on high alert and it would only use its arsenal of nuclear weapons if there is a direct threat to our existence,” he told Reuters.
The attack in Pahalgam, located in South Kashmir's Anantnag district,one of the deadliest on civilians in the region in recent years has sparked massive public outrage and brought the already strained India-Pakistan relationship to a diplomatic standoff.
PM Shahbaz Sharif's neutral probe call
In the midst of escalating tensions, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for a “neutral investigation” into the incident.
Sharif said, “Pakistan is open to participating in any neutral, transparent, and credible investigation into the attack.”
This call for a neutral probe comes as both countries continue to grapple with rising security concerns.
While Sharif’s statement sought to calm tensions, it was met with sharp criticism from Jammu and Kashmir’s Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, who dismissed the proposal, accusing Pakistan of undermining the integrity of the situation.
Sharif also emphasized Pakistan’s military preparedness and resolve, stressing that the country's armed forces remain "fully capable and prepared to defend Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity."
He pointed to the 2019 military standoff with India, highlighting Pakistan’s "measured yet resolute response" to what he described as India’s “reckless incursion.”
After the terror attack, India has formally notified its decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty with immediate effect, and downgraded diplomatic ties with Islamabad.
In response, Pakistan on Thursday shut its airspace to Indian airliners and suspended all trade with India, including through third countries.
The Resistance Front, an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) initially claimed responsibility for the terror attack. Later on, the outfit unequivocally denied any involvement in the Pahalgam attack. Any attribution of this act to TRF is false, hasty, and part of an orchestrated campaign to malign the Kashmiri resistance,” the outfit claimed.
It added that an “unauthorised” message was posted from one of their digital platforms claiming responsibility after the Pahalgam attack.
“After an internal audit, we have reason to believe it was the result of a coordinated cyber intrusion. We are conducting a full investigation to trace the breach, and early indicators suggest fingerprints of Indian cyber-intelligence operatives,” the terror outfit said.
Pakistan and India also exchanged gunfire for a fourth night in a row across their de facto border, the Line of Control (LoC), after four years of relative calm, the Dawn reported.
“During the night of April 27-28… Pakistan Army posts initiated unprovoked small arms fire across the Line of Control”, the Indian army claimed in a statement.
There were no reported casualties, and Islamabad did not immediately confirm the gunfire, the Dawn report added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed 'harshest punishment' for the conspirators and justice for the kin of the dead.
In a message posted on platform X, the Indian Prime Minister affirmed: "They (terrorists) will not be spared! Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger."
