Islamabad raised alarm bells on Wednesday, claiming it had solid intel that New Delhi was gearing up for a military assault within the next day or two—an ominous development that’s fanning fears of a fresh military standoff between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar dropped the bombshell, alleging that India plans to use the recent massacre in Kashmir’s Pahalgam as a cover to justify the move. “We have reliable intelligence that India is preparing to launch a military strike in the next 24 to 36 hours,” Tarar stated, warning that Pakistan is ready to deliver a “decisive response.”
The Pahalgam attack, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians on April 22, marked the deadliest incident in the region in years and has ratcheted up already simmering tensions. India squarely blamed Pakistan for aiding the perpetrators—an accusation Islamabad has flatly denied.
Tarar’s warning followed a high-level security meeting in New Delhi where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi granted the military full operational leeway to act in response to the deadly assault.
While India has yet to publicly confirm any planned military operation, Tarar’s remarks suggest Pakistan is bracing for escalation. “We will not sit idle,” he added. “Any aggression will be met with force.”
With both countries locked in a decades-long dispute over Kashmir and a history of tit-for-tat strikes, regional observers are now holding their breath, fearing another dangerous spiral may be just around the corner.
