NEW DELHI: The Pakistan military has carried out a major mobilisation of troops and assets following the Pahalgam terror attack.
Sources said the Pakistan Air Force is holding three exercises -- Fiza-e-Badra, Lalkar-e-Momin and Zarb-e-Haidari.
"Apart from the three PAF exercises, the Pakistan Army's Multan, Punjab based II-Corps has been carrying out war games for about a week," said a source, adding, "They have been exercising with their frontline fighters including the F-16s, J-10 and JF-17 and have activated their air defence canopy."
Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar claimed early on Wednesday, quoting "credible intelligence", that India may carry out a military strike within the next 24 to 36 hours.
Tarar said this a day after PM Narendra Modi met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, NSA Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and the three services chiefs.
The armed forces were given the operational freedom to decide the 'mode, targets and timing' of India's response to the Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 people on April 22.
The Pakistan Army has a total of nine corps level formations, of which the 2 Corps (Army Reserve South) and the 1 Corps (Army Reserve North) are their strike corps.
A corps is the largest army formation that wages war independently. As for the military comparison, of the total of 14 corps in the Indian Army, four are strike corps, mandated to penetrate the enemy's territory as the war begins.
Sources said the exercises give a realistic environment to practice skill and tactics, assess the preparedness (equipment and systems) and strengthen the areas found weak to enhance the overall operational efficiency.
These exercises by the Pakistan military have no meaning except for the messaging they are trying to do, says defence analyst Lieutenant General (retired) VK Chaturvedi.
"They are already spread out all across: Balochistan, Durand Line (Pakistan-Afghanistan border) and now the eastern flank. These exercises are to increase the motivation of their men which is down due to the prolonged exposure to the deployments to deal with attacks they are facing," Lt Gen Chaturvedi said.
Speaking about the Indian response, he said, "There will be a befitting response, along the Line of Control."
As a mature nation, our leadership will handle it optimally, without going for war, he added.