The escalating tension between India and Pakistan following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack has reached a dangerous point, with both countries issuing grave warnings and taking retaliatory diplomatic and military steps.
In a provocative move, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Russia, Muhammad Khalid Jamali, in an interview with RT, openly threatened the use of nuclear weapons, asserting that Islamabad would respond with the “full spectrum of power – both conventional and nuclear” if attacked by India. Citing "leaked documents," Jamali claimed a strike from India was imminent, and said Pakistan's forces were fully prepared and supported by the people to respond decisively.
This comes after 26 people, including a Nepali national, were brutally killed in Pahalgam when terrorists—allegedly backed by Pakistan—targeted non-Muslim tourists, asking them to recite the Kalma and executing them when they failed to do so. The Baisaran valley, where the massacre occurred, is a remote area accessible only on foot or horseback.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, following high-level cabinet and security meetings, has reportedly granted the Indian armed forces complete operational freedom to act against those responsible. In response, Pakistan's government is on high alert, with multiple ministers warning of severe retaliation.
Pakistani Minister Hanif Abbasi echoed nuclear threats, stating that missiles like Ghori, Shaheen, and Ghaznavi, along with 130 nuclear warheads, are "kept only for India". Abbasi also threatened war over India’s move to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, warning of "full-scale war" if Pakistan’s water supply is disrupted.
Adding fuel to the fire, Minister Ataullah Tarar, in a late-night press conference, claimed credible intelligence suggested an Indian military strike within 24–36 hours. He warned of serious consequences and stated that Pakistan would hold India responsible for any further regional instability.
On the Indian side, the fallout has been swift and multi-layered. India has:
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Downgraded diplomatic ties with Pakistan.
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Cancelled all Pakistani visas.
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Suspended the Indus Waters Treaty.
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Shut Indian airspace to Pakistani airlines.
In retaliation, Pakistan suspended the Simla Agreement, a key diplomatic framework for maintaining peace, further deepening the crisis.
Despite Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stating that nuclear weapons would be used only if Pakistan’s "existence" was threatened, the repeated invocation of nuclear retaliation underscores how volatile the situation has become.
The current standoff appears to be the most serious India-Pakistan crisis since Balakot (2019), with the threat of escalation to direct military conflict looming large. Both sides are reportedly reinforcing border deployments, and back-channel talks seem to have stalled.
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