News Desk
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday warned India against any misadventure, stating that while Pakistan will not initiate any escalatory move, it will respond decisively to any provocation.
The minister’s remarks come amidst heightened tensions following the Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which Dar described as part of India’s politically motivated and provocative actions threatening regional peace and stability.
Addressing a press briefing alongside Director-General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Dar underscored Pakistan’s grave concerns over India’s destabilising actions and inflammatory statements following the April 22 attack.
He said that while Pakistan strongly condemns the targeting of innocent civilians, it was crucial to recognise that the country, having suffered immensely from terrorism, understands the pain of those affected.
“As a victim of terrorism, no one can feel the pain of those impacted better than Pakistan,” Dar stated, adding that Pakistan had expressed its condolences and engaged with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to ensure the strongest condemnation of the Pahalgam incident.
Dar further criticised India for attempting to associate Pakistan with the attack without evidence, calling it a “deliberate and baseless” effort to distract the global community from India’s own security failures in IIOJK and its ongoing oppression of Kashmiris.
“India continues to glorify its assassination campaigns and state-sponsored terrorism in Pakistan and beyond,” Dar said, highlighting the substantial sacrifices Pakistan has made in the fight against terrorism, including over 80,000 lives lost and economic damages exceeding $150 billion.
Reiterating Pakistan’s position, Dar clarified that while Pakistan will not escalate the situation, any aggressive move by India will be met with a “befitting and decisive response” from Pakistan. “The international community must consider the broader implications of India’s actions on regional stability,” he added.
The foreign minister also questioned India’s timing, suggesting that the country deliberately raises tensions to deflect attention from its internal issues, particularly the unresolved Kashmir dispute, which remains the root cause of instability in South Asia.
Dar stressed that India’s allegations against Pakistan regarding the Pahalgam attack were part of a long-standing pattern of fabricating terrorism accusations for political gain, aimed at suppressing Kashmiris’ right to self-determination and justifying draconian laws.
He called for a transparent investigation into the incident by independent international observers, as proposed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The foreign minister also voiced alarm over the Islamophobic rhetoric being propagated by India against Kashmiris and Indian Muslims, warning that such divisive narratives would only further destabilize the region.
On India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), Dar condemned the move as illegal, pointing out that the treaty cannot be amended or terminated without mutual consent, as clearly outlined in its dispute resolution framework.
‘Imporatant questions’
Dar raised several key questions for the global community to consider in light of recent developments, including India’s inflammatory rhetoric and attempts to blame Pakistan for the Pahalgam attack without evidence.
“Is it not time for the world to hold India accountable for its transnational assassinations, including in Pakistan?” Dar asked. “And isn’t it crucial to distinguish between legitimate sympathy for victims and an unwitting endorsement of India’s belligerent behaviour?”
“Three, is it not that Indian propaganda is aimed at fabricating a case for military adventure?”
“Four, don’t you think that India’s blatant disregard for international law and whimsical approach towards its obligations would lead to a highly unstable and unpredictable regional order?”
“Five, isn’t it high time for the international community to step in and condemn India and prevent it from targeting people on the basis of Islamophobia and religious hatred?”
“Six, can we deny that the dangerous Indian brinkmanship and efforts aimed at escalation can potentially lead to disastrous consequences in a nuclearised region and beyond?“
“We remain very alert,” Dar said, concluding: “The armed forces are vigilant, and the National Security Committee (NSC) resolve is strong. The nation will thwart any misadventure, responding in a befitting and decisive manner at the time and place of our choosing.”
‘All preparations completed for retaliatory response’
Pakistan Army has completed all preparations for a retaliatory response, the DG ISPR said adding that Pakistani nation will defend its sovereignty and integrity at all costs.
“The entire nation stands united [against Indian threats] and National Security Committee’s communique has already been issued,” he said.
Lt Gen Chaudhry said all political parties of the country expressed determination to give a befitting response to any Indian aggression.
He said the Pakistan Army was fully prepared to respond to any threat on all fronts, adding that India’s strategy may be aimed at keeping Pakistan engaged on the eastern border.
DG ISPR also reiterated Pakistan’s demand to hold independent, transparent and impartial inquiry into the Pahalgam incident.
“The international community should take note of India’s state-sponsored terrorism in Pakistan,” he added.
Anti-terror operations
Accusing India of being behind terrorist incidents in Pakistan, the DG ISPR said Pakistan witnessed 3,700 terrorist attacks since January 2024, wherein 3,896 people died.
He said at least 2,582 officers and personnel were martyred in the terror attacks. As many as 77,816 operations have been carried out since January 2024.
He informed the media that 1,666 terrorists were killed in these operations and 83 of these terrorists were high-value targets.
“Security forces and law enforcement agencies are conducting more than 190 operations daily,” he added.
“Pakistan is the last strong wall against terrorism.”
‘We are ready, don’t test us’
The chief military spokesperson has assured the nation that defence institutions were ready to defend the country at all times and warned India against “testing patience”.
“We are not the ones who are going to initiate aggression. We are a very responsible state and we will always follow a path of reason and constructive engagement. But if they think aggression is the path forward then our message is only this: we are ready — don’t test us.”
“Whether it’s the armed forces, air force, navy, or any other defence-related institution, all are constantly engaged in preparations. We are present everywhere, at all times. We are ready and prepared to take on all sort of challenges.”
“If they [India] choose the path of military confrontation, that will be their decision — but where it leads will be ours.”
India-Pakistan tensions
The presser comes as the two nuclear-armed neighbours are experiencing a period of heightened tensions since the April 22 attack on tourists in the scenic resort town, in which at least 26 people were killed.
New Delhi linked Islamabad to the attack without offering any evidence and took a flurry of punitive measures to downgrade ties, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, revoking visas of Pakistanis, and closing Wagah-Attari border crossing among others.
Islamabad, in response, ordered the expulsion of Indian diplomats and military advisers, cancelling visas for Indian nationals, with the exception of Sikh pilgrims, and closing the main border crossing from its side.
Pakistan also denies its involvement in the attack and offered to take part in a credible and transparent investigation.
With Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warning that the escalation could escalate into an “all-out war”, the United Nations has urged Pakistan and India to show “maximum restraint” to ensure that the situation and the developments do not deteriorate any further.
Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said that Pakistan has credible intelligence reports regarding military action by India in the next 24 to 36 hours.
“Pakistan has credible intelligence that India intends to carry out military action against Pakistan in the next 24-36 hours on the pretext of baseless and concocted allegations of involvement in the Pahalgam incident,” Tarar said in a video statement issued late Tuesday.
A day earlier, the Pakistan Army shot down two Indian quadcopter drones near the Line of Control (LoC) in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
‘Irrefutable evidence’
Briefing the media a day earlier, DG ISPR presented “irrefutable” evidence of Indian-sponsored terrorism in Pakistan, days after New Delhi accused Islamabad of the Pahalgam attack in IIOJK.
“India is involved in state-sponsored cross-border terrorism against Pakistan,” Lt Gen Chaudhry categorically stated.
“It has been seven days since the Pahalgam attack, yet not a single shred of evidence has been provided to substantiate the baseless allegations levelled against Pakistan,” he added.
The DG ISPR said that India has been found operating terror networks inside Pakistan, wherein explosives, IEDs, and other lethal materials are being supplied to terrorists with the intent to target not only security forces but also innocent civilians.
“This irrefutable evidence is just one small component of the broader pattern of state-sponsored terrorism being orchestrated by India,” he added.
