‘India May Strike Within 36 Hours’, Claims Pakistan Minister Amid Tensions Over Pahalgam Attack
Pakistan’s Information Minister has claimed that India could launch a military strike within 24 to 36 hours following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 dead.
Amid escalating tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Wednesday warned that India may carry out a military strike “within the next 24 to 36 hours.” His remarks came a day after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the armed forces full freedom to determine the nature and timing of retaliation.
“Pakistan has credible intelligence that India intends to launch a military strike using the Pahalgam incident as a false pretext,” Tarar said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), adding that any such act would be met with a “decisive response.”
He further cautioned, “India will be fully responsible for any serious consequences in the region.”
India has blamed Pakistan-based elements for orchestrating the April 22 attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 people, mostly tourists. On April 24, PM Modi vowed to identify and pursue the attackers and their “backers” to the “ends of the earth.”
The Prime Minister also convened a high-level security meeting and granted the military full operational freedom in its response.
Tarar claimed Pakistan “understands the pain of terrorism” and reiterated Islamabad’s offer for a neutral, international investigation into the Pahalgam incident.
“We have always condemned terrorism in all forms. The onus of an escalatory spiral shall squarely lie with India,” he said, urging the global community to take note of the rising tensions.
Echoing the warning, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told Reuters that a military incursion from India was “imminent.” He said Pakistan is on high alert but added that nuclear weapons would only be used if “there is a direct threat to our existence.”
India has since downgraded diplomatic ties with Pakistan, suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, closed the Attari-Wagah border, and expelled Pakistani military attachés. In response, Pakistan halted engagement under the 1972 Simla Agreement and recalled its envoy from New Delhi.
