pakistan Army to take strong action against any aggression: Defence Minister warns

The death toll in a gun attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir has sparked fresh tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, India and Pakistan. In this critical situation, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif issued a stern warning in an interview with the country's Geo News on Sunday.

He said, "If India escalates tensions, then no one can stop us. Pakistan's armed forces will take strong action against any aggression."

The Defence Minister further said that the entire Pakistan is now united with the armed forces. He warned that if a conflict breaks out between the two nuclear-armed states, it will not only pose a serious threat to regional but also global peace. He also said that the international community has been warned in this regard.

Referring to the Pulwama attack, Khawaja Asif said, "The way we reacted during Pulwama, this time too we will give a strong response. If the Modi government tries to increase tension, we are ready to give a response."

He accused Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi of spreading false propaganda, saying that Modi had used incidents like Pulwama for political purposes in the past and is trying to use the same tactic this time too. However, Asif said that Pakistan is now much more prepared and stronger than before.

After 25 Indian citizens and a Nepali citizen were killed in an attack by gunmen in Pahalgam, Indian authorities blamed Pakistan for the attack. India alleged that Pakistan was supporting terrorism across the border.

In response, India has taken several tough diplomatic steps. These include -

India-Pakistan suspension of the long-standing Indus Water Treaty,

closure of the two countries' main land border,

expulsion of Pakistani diplomats,

withdrawal of Indian military advisor from Islamabad,

and decision to reduce the staff strength of the Indian High Commission in Pakistan.

Following India's decision, Pakistan's National Security Committee (NSC) held an emergency meeting and decided to take countermeasures against India. Although the detailed steps have not been announced yet, Islamabad has made it clear that it will not compromise on its security and dignity.

Pakistan has repeatedly said that it is in no way involved in the Pahalgam incident and has strongly condemned such attacks.