New Delhi: Tensions between India and Pakistan have sharply escalated following the Pahalgam terror attack, with Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif warning on Monday that a military incursion by India is “imminent”.
The attack, which occurred on April 22 at the Baisaran meadow in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam region, left 26 people dead — mostly tourists, including one Nepalese national. It is the deadliest attack on civilian since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
Speaking to Reuters, 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 Pakistan’s military had briefed the government on the possibility of an Indian offensive and said the country was on high alert.
Pakistan would only use its nuclear arsenal if…
He further emphasised that Pakistan would only use its nuclear arsenal if “there is a direct threat to our existence”.
The Pahalgam attack has triggered outrage across India, with demands of swift and strong action against Pakistan, which New Delhi accuses of sponsoring terrorism in Kashmir. Islamabad, however, has denied any involvement, calling for an impartial international investigation even as India identified two suspected terrorists as Pakistani nationals.
In the wake of the attack, India’s defence minister Rajnath Singh met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his official residence to discuss a potential response. The meeting came a day after Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan briefed Singh on counter-terrorism strategies.
Jammu and Kashmir Police raid dozens of places
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Police on Monday raided dozens of places in Srinagar, Doda and Kishtwar as part of the massive clampdown on terror ecosystem.
“The searches were conducted in accordance with proper legal procedures in the presence of executive magistrates and independent witnesses under the supervision of the officers of J-K Police,” new agency PTI quoted a spokesman as saying.
