Pakistan Alleges India Plans Military Strike After Kashmir Attack

 Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif claimed on April 29, 2025, that India is planning a military strike within 24 to 36 hours, citing “credible intelligence” following a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22 that killed 26 people, mostly tourists. 

The statement, reported by The Times of India and Al Jazeera, heightened tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors, with Pakistan pledging a “decisive” response to any Indian action. India’s Ministry of External Affairs has not commented, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to pursue the attackers, blaming Pakistan-based elements linked to the attack claimed by The Resistance Front, an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The Pahalgam assault, the deadliest in Indian-administered Kashmir in over two decades, prompted India to suspend the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty and expel Pakistani nationals, per AP News. Indian forces exchanged fire with Pakistani soldiers along the Line of Control on April 25, marking six days of skirmishes. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Attaullah Tarar rejected India’s accusations, asserting Pakistan’s victimhood to terrorism and condemning India’s “hubristic” stance, per The Times of India. India’s Home Minister Amit Shah met security officials in Srinagar to strategize, with 500,000 troops deployed in Kashmir intensifying operations.

The escalation follows India’s 2019 revocation of Kashmir’s autonomy, which reduced violence but failed to eliminate attacks, as seen in a June 2024 bus assault killing nine. Pakistan’s military is on high alert, with Asif clarifying nuclear weapons would only be used if Pakistan’s existence is threatened, per Al Jazeera. The U.S. State Department, monitoring the situation, urged de-escalation without taking a stance on Kashmir’s status, per state.gov. China called for restraint, offering Pakistan support, per The Economic Times.

Kashmir, divided since 1947, has fueled three wars between India and Pakistan, with 41,000 deaths since 1989, per Wikipedia data. India’s Cold Start doctrine, designed for rapid strikes without nuclear escalation, contrasts with Pakistan’s tactical nuclear weapon strategy, raising fears of miscalculation. The international community, including the UN, has called for dialogue, but India’s diplomatic offensive, linking attackers to safehouses in Muzaffarabad and Karachi, signals a hardline approach, per The Week. The crisis risks further destabilizing South Asia, with global powers urging both nations to avoid a broader conflict.