Pakistan says India planning strike as tensions soar over Kashmir
- 5 hours ago
Pakistan said on Wednesday it had "credible intelligence" that India was planning an imminent military strike and vowed to retaliate, as worries of spiralling conflict grew over a deadly attack in Kashmir.
Relations between the nuclear-armed neighbours have plummeted since New Delhi blamed its arch-rival Pakistan for last week's assault on tourists in Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir, the deadliest attack on civilians there in a quarter of a century.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the military "complete operational freedom" to respond to the attack during a closed-door meeting on Tuesday, a senior government source told the media.
Pakistan's government has denied any involvement in the shooting, and information minister Attaullah Tarar said overnight that "any act of aggression will be met with a decisive response".
"Pakistan has credible intelligence that India intends to launch a military strike within the next 24 to 36 hours using the Pahalgam incident as a false pretext," Tarar said in a statement early on Wednesday.
However, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also said Pakistan would not strike first.
Leaders around the world have expressed deep concerns and urged restraint by the uneasy neighbours who have fought several wars.
Muslim-majority Kashmir, a region of around 15 million people, is divided between Pakistan and India but claimed in full by both nations.
About 1.5 million people live near the ceasefire line on the Pakistani side of the border, where residents were preparing for violence by readying simple, mud-walled underground bunkers reinforced with concrete if they can afford it.
"We are cleaning the bunker to ensure that if the enemy attacks at any time, we are not caught off guard and we can bring our children to safety," 42-year-old Muhammad Javed told AFP in the village of Chakothi.
Agence France-Presse