ISLAMABAD, MAY 5: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned on Monday that India could carry out a military strike at any point along the Line of Control (LoC) as tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours continue to simmer following the attack on tourists in IIOJK.
“There are reports that India may strike at any point along the Line of Control (LoC)… New Delhi will be given a befitting reply,” the defence minister said while speaking to journalists in Islamabad.
Relations between the two arch-rivals have nosedived since gunmen killed 26 people on April 22 in an attack targeting tourists in Pahalgam.
New Delhi linked Islamabad to the attack without offering any evidence and took a flurry of punitive measures to downgrade ties, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, revoking visas of Pakistanis, and closing Wagah-Attari border crossing, among others.
Islamabad, in response, ordered the expulsion of Indian diplomats and military advisers, cancelling visas for Indian nationals, with the exception of Sikh pilgrims, and closing the main border crossing from its side.
Pakistan also denies involvement in the attack and offered to take part in a credible and transparent investigation.
Speaking to reporters today, Asif said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had already called for the constitution of an international commission to investigate the incident. “Such a probe would expose whether India itself or any internal group was involved, and clarify the truth behind New Delhi’s baseless allegations against Pakistan,” he added.
“An international investigation will reveal whether [Indian Prime Minister] Narendra Modi is lying or telling the truth,” he said, adding, “Only then can we tell Modi that he is a liar and destroying global peace.”
The minister further castigated Modi for “pushing the region to the brink of nuclear war” solely to secure votes through political drama.
He further said that India is involved in sponsoring terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. “We had presented evidence of Indian terrorism in KP to the United Nations in 2016 and 2017,” he noted, adding: “Those proofs included videos showing how India finances and instigates terrorism.”
He regretted that Pakistan continues to face threats from across the Afghan border, asserting that the recent wave of terrorism in KP and Balochistan is being orchestrated from Afghanistan, with India’s backing.
When asked why the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) skipped last night’s security briefing, Asif said: “I don’t know why PTI chose not to participate in the in-camera session.”
He also noted that resolutions have now been passed by both the Senate and the National Assembly on the current situation. “The stance of the nation is clear. If anyone still wants to call an APC (All Parties Conference), they may go ahead,” he added.
NA resolution warns India of swift, decisive response to aggression
Separately, the National Assembly passed a resolution warning India that any act of aggression, including water terrorism or military provocation, would be met with a “firm, swift and decisive” response.
The resolution, tabled by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, warned India that Pakistan remains fully capable and prepared to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity as “clearly demonstrated by its robust and valiant response to India’s reckless actions in February 2019”.
It also condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and emphasised that killing of innocent civilians was contrary to the values upheld by Pakistan.
The resolution also rejected all “frivolous and baseless attempts” to link Pakistan with the Pahalgam attack in occupied Kashmir.
It condemned the “orchestrated and mala fide campaign” by the Indian government to malign Pakistan, “which follows a familiar pattern of exploiting the issue of terrorism for a narrow political goal.”
It further condemned India’s “unlawful and unilateral declaration” to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance in blatant violation.
The resolution emphasised that the people of Pakistan remain committed to peace, but will never allow anyone to transgress the country’s sovereignty, security, and interests.
It also demanded that India should be held accountable for its involvement in different acts of terrorism and targeted assassinations on the soil of other countries, including Pakistan.
“Pakistan’s unwavering moral, political and diplomatic support for and commitment to the Kashmiri people’s just struggle for realization of their inalienable right to self-determination,” the resolution concluded.
