ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned that India may launch a military strike at any point along the Line of Control (LoC), as tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors intensify in the wake of a deadly attack on tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
“There are reports that India may carry out a strike along the LoC, New Delhi will receive a befitting response,” Asif told journalists in Islamabad.
Relations between India and Pakistan have sharply deteriorated since April 22, when unidentified gunmen killed 26 people in a tourist area in Pahalgam. India quickly blamed Pakistan for the attack without presenting evidence and responded with a series of measures aimed at downgrading diplomatic and bilateral ties.
Among these steps, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, revoked visas issued to Pakistani nationals, and closed the Wagah-Attari border crossing.
Pakistan responded in kind by expelling Indian diplomats and military officials, cancelling visas for Indian citizens—except Sikh pilgrims—and sealing the border crossing from its own side.
Islamabad has firmly denied any involvement in the attack and offered to participate in an impartial, international investigation.
Asif said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had already proposed the formation of an international commission to probe the Pahalgam incident. “Such an inquiry would reveal whether India itself or one of its internal groups was behind the attack and expose the truth behind New Delhi’s baseless accusations,” he said.
“If an international investigation is conducted, it will show whether [Prime Minister] Narendra Modi is lying or telling the truth,” he added. “Only then can we call out Modi for spreading lies and threatening global peace.”
The defence minister also accused India of escalating regional tensions for electoral gain, saying Modi is pushing South Asia to the brink of nuclear conflict through “political theatrics.”
Asif further alleged that India has long been involved in sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces. He recalled that Pakistan had submitted evidence to the United Nations in 2016 and 2017, including videos allegedly showing Indian support for terrorist activities.
He also pointed to recent attacks originating from Afghanistan, asserting that they were being carried out with Indian backing. “Pakistan continues to face cross-border threats from Afghanistan, with India playing a role in orchestrating terrorism,” he said.
