Pakistan Warns of Imminent Indian Military Strike Amid Kashmir Tensions

Amid escalating conflicts in Kashmir, Pakistan's Information Minister contends that India aims to use a recent deadly attack as justification for military action, while also warning of a decisive response to any aggression.

Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has raised alarm bells by stating that the country possesses "credible intelligence" suggesting India is preparing for a military strike within the next 24 to 36 hours. This claim follows India's accusation that Pakistan is harboring militants responsible for a tragic attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that resulted in the death of 26 tourists last week. Pakistan vehemently denies these allegations.

Tarar asserted that India might exploit the recent violence as a "false pretext" for initiating hostilities, saying, "any such military adventurism by India would be responded to assuredly and decisively." The situation has prompted an increase in military tensions, with both countries exchanging intermittent gunfire along their border in recent days.

The deadly attack near Pahalgam marked one of the most severe assaults on civilians in the region in two decades, further entrenching the long-standing conflict over the Kashmir territory, which both nations claim and have contested since 1947. In the wake of the attack, Indian authorities reported conducting extensive searches across the region, detaining over 1,500 individuals for questioning and demolishing homes of alleged militants.

Despite speculation regarding India's potential response—drawing comparisons to military actions taken following similar incidents in 2016 and 2019—it remains unclear how the situation will unfold. Although Indian police have identified three of the four suspected attackers, the investigation has not disclosed who orchestrated the assault.

Survivor accounts suggest that the gunmen specifically sought out Hindu men during the attack, amplifying existing tensions. In a stern public address, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed that the country would pursue the perpetrators "till the ends of the earth" and ensure punishment that exceeds the attackers' expectations. The situation is closely watched as both countries navigate this volatile episode in their fraught history.