Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday clarified the next two or three days are crucial in the ongoing conflict between Pakistan and India, stressing that the threat of war is real.
In a statement, Asif said that his comments during an interview with an international media outlet were misconstrued and he did not predict that war would break out. However, he added, the situation remains critical and an outright clash cannot be ruled out. Regional and friendly states, he said, were working to avoid this situation.
Stressing that the region is facing significant threats due to the massing of troops on both sides of the Pak-India border, he said Islamabad is “mentally prepared” for war. “Our three armed forces are ready to defend the country,” he said, referring to the Air Force, Army and the Navy.
He warned that if war is imposed upon Pakistan, the country would not hesitate to respond in a “befitting” manner. “No one should have any doubt that if aggression is committed, a crushing response will be given,” he added, while clarifying that the country would not resort to any nuclear response until it faced a “direct threat” to its existence.
Recalling that the country has already offered cooperation for any impartial inquiry into the Pahalgam attack, he claimed the international community also supports this. “We want to unmask the fabricated allegations against Pakistan under the garb of Pahalgam incident,” he said.
Claiming that India has long desired an exit from Indus Water Treaty, he reiterated warnings that Pakistan would not hesitate to respond if India takes any hostile action against the country’s water. He stressed that the accord did not allow either Pakistan or India to make unilateral decisions.