Khawaja Asif warns India could launch military strike anywhere along LoC

ISLAMABAD: Amid rising tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad following a deadly attack on tourists in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday warned that India could launch a military strike along the Line of Control (LoC).

“There are reports that India may launch a military strike at any point along the LoC. Any such action will be met with a strong and befitting response,” Asif told reporters in Islamabad.

Bilateral relations have deteriorated sharply since April 22, when gunmen killed 26 people in a brutal attack targeting tourists in Pahalgam. India blamed Pakistan for the attack without providing any evidence and retaliated with a series of countermeasures that included suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, cancelling visas for Pakistani nationals and closing the Wagah-Attari border crossing.

In response, Islamabad expelled Indian diplomats and military advisers, cancelled visas of Indian nationals—except for Sikh pilgrims—and closed its main border crossing with India.

Pakistan has denied involvement in the Pahalgam attack and has offered to participate in a transparent and credible international investigation.

Defense Minister Asif reiterated that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had already called for the formation of an international commission to investigate the incident. He said such an investigation would reveal whether India was behind the attack or whether there was an insider role, exposing the baseless nature of India’s allegations against Pakistan.

“An international investigation will reveal whether [Indian Prime Minister] Narendra Modi is lying,” Asif asserted. “Only then can we call him a liar who is endangering regional and global peace for political gain.”

The minister further alleged that India is fuelling terrorism in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces. “We submitted evidence of Indian-sponsored terrorism to the UN in 2016 and 2017, including videos of Indian funding and support for terrorist activities,” he claimed.

Asif also accused India of backing militant activities launched from across the Afghan border, citing the recent surge in terrorist incidents in KP and Balochistan, which he said were being orchestrated from Afghanistan with Indian support.

When asked why the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party did not attend the recent security briefing, Asif replied, “I am not aware of the reasons for PTI skipping the in-camera meeting.”

He noted that both the Senate and the National Assembly have passed resolutions to address the current situation, stressing that “the position of the nation is united. If anyone still wants to call an All Parties Conference (APC), they are free to do so.”