Karachi: Pakistan Defence minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif claimed on Monday that an Indian military strike was imminent in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.
The April 22 massacre claimed the lives of 26 innocent people, most of them tourists, leading to a sharp escalation in tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations.
The deadly and gruesome terror attack in the Kashmir valley has outraged and infuriated Indians who have demanded swift retaliation against Pakistan, a neighbour accused of harbouring terrorists on its soil.
“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,” Asif told Reuters.
Without going into details about their assessment, the Defence minister said the Pakistani military has briefed the government about the possibility of an Indian attack.
“Pakistan is on high alert and it would only use its arsenal of nuclear weapons if there is a direct threat to our existence,” Asif added.
Five terrorists targeted the picturesque at Baisaran valley, known as ‘Mini Switzerland’, to attack unarmed male tourists and shot them in front of their family members.
The Resistance Front (TRF), an affiliate of UN-designated terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), initially claimed responsibility. Four days later, TRF denied any involvement in the massacre.
India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), downgraded diplomatic ties with Islamabad and revoked all existing valid visas issued to Pakistani nationals.
Pakistan responded by suspending all trade, closed its airspace for Indian airlines and said any attempt to divert the water meant for it under the Indus Water Treaty will be considered an act of war.
