By Asif Shahzad
Islamabad (Reuters) – The Minister of Defense of Pakistan said on Monday that an imminent military foray was imminent following a deadly militant attack on tourists in cashmere last week, while tensions increase between the two nuclear armed nations.
The attack killed 26 people and sparked indignation in India in the Hindu majority, as well as calls for action against Muslim majority of Muslim Pakistan. India accuses Pakistan of supporting activism in cashmere, a region affirms and fought two wars.
“We have strengthened our forces because it is something that is imminent now. So, in this situation, certain strategic decisions must be made, so these decisions have been made,” Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif in an interview with his office in Islamabad told Reuters.
Asif said that India’s rhetoric accelerated and that the Pakistani army had informed the government of the possibility of an Indian attack. He did not enter more details on his reasons to think that an incursion was imminent.
The Ministries of Foreigners and the Defense of India did not immediately respond to requests for comments.
After the cashmere attack, India said that two alleged activists were Pakistani. Islamabad denied any role and called for a neutral investigation.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra amended to continue and punish the attackers.
Pakistan was on alert, but would only use its nuclear weapons if “there is a direct threat to our existence,” said Asifier, a veteran politician and a frank member of the Party of the Muslim League of Pakistan, who historically continued peace talks with India.
‘Act of war’
The Minister added that Islamabad had approached friendly countries, including the Gulf States and China, and also informed Great Britain, the United States and other people on the situation.
“Some of our friends in the Persian Gulf have spoken on both sides,” said Asif, without named countries.
China said on Monday that it hoped for restraint and had welcomed all measures to cool the situation. Asif said the United States has so far been “remaining” of the intervention in this area.
President Donald Trump said that last week, India and Pakistan would find relations between them, but the State Department said later that Washington was in contact with both parties, exhorting them to work towards a “responsible solution”.
Washington previously helped calm tensions between the two countries, both of which acquired independence in 1947 when a retired British colonial administration separated the subcontinent into two states.
Delhi and Islamabad have taken a series of measures against each other since the Kashmir attack. India has suspended the Industry Water Treaty – an important river sharing pact. Pakistan has closed its airspace to Indian airlines.
Asif said that it was an “act of war” to deprive vulnerable water areas, and that the treaty, which resisted past conflicts, was supported by international guarantors.
“We have already gone to relevant neighborhoods with regard to this treaty,” he said, calling for the international community and the World Bank to protect the Pact.
New Delhi also accused Islamabad of having supported Islamist activists who had led Mumbai 2008 attacks, who killed more than 166 people, including foreigners. Pakistan denies the accusations.
(Additional Shivam Patel report in New Delhi; Writing by Gibran Peshimam; edition by Andrew Heavens)
