In a dramatic midnight development, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar held a 2 am emergency press conference claiming that India is planning a military strike within the next 24 to 36 hours, escalating tensions between the two nations following the Pahalgam terror attack.
“We have credible, intelligence-based information that India is preparing for a military offensive. Any such action will be met with full force,” Tarar declared in a video message posted on social media.
Warning of “catastrophic consequences”, Tarar added that Pakistan will defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity at all costs, and any escalation would be entirely India’s responsibility. He dismissed Indian accusations linking Pakistan to the April 22 massacre of 26 civilians in Baisaran, Jammu and Kashmir, as “baseless and concocted.”
“India continues its pattern of acting as judge, jury, and executioner,” Tarar said, claiming no credible evidence has been shared by New Delhi.
This high-voltage claim comes shortly after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly gave a “free hand” to the armed forces to determine the mode, timing, and scale of retaliation for the Pahalgam terror strike. Modi had vowed to “track and punish” the perpetrators and pursue them to the ends of the earth.
Just a day earlier, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khwaja Asif also raised alarm, telling Geo News, “If something has to happen, it will happen in two or three days.”
Adding to the hostilities, ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops have been reported along the Line of Control (LoC), with Indian forces responding cautiously but firmly.
India, meanwhile, has taken a series of diplomatic and strategic countermeasures:
- Downgraded diplomatic relations with Pakistan
- Suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (1960)
- Revoked all visas issued to Pakistani nationals
- Closed the Wagah-Attari border crossing
The situation remains volatile, with both sides on high alert amid international concerns over potential escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
