Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar late on Tuesday night said that “credible intelligence” reports indicated that India was planning to conduct a military action against Pakistan in the next 24 to 36 hours amid tensions between the two countries after the Pahalgam attack in occupied Kashmir.
Earlier on Tuesday, India gave its military “operational freedom” to respond to the deadly attack in occupied Kashmir last week.
Speaking to the media hours after the development, Tarar said, “Pakistan has credible intelligence that India intends carrying out military action against Pakistan in the next 24-36 hours on the pretext of baseless and concocted allegations of involvement in the Pahalgam incident.”
He said Pakistan vehemently rejected “Indian self-assumed hubristic role of judge, jury and executioner in the region” which was completely “reckless. Pakistan has been the victim of terrorism itself and truly understands the pain of this scourge. We have always condemned it in all its forms and manifestations anywhere in the world.”
Being a responsible state, he said Pakistan “open heartedly offered a credible, transparent and independent investigation” by a neutral commission of experts to ascertain the truth, Dawn reported.
“Unfortunately, rather than pursuing the path of reason, India has apparently decided to tread the dangerous path of irrationality and confrontation, which will have catastrophic consequences for the complete region and beyond,” the minister stressed.
He said the “evasion of credible investigations is in itself sufficient evidence exposing India’s real motives.”
“Consciously making strategic decisions hostage to public sentiments, purposefully trumped up for securing political objectives, is unfortunate and deplorable,” Tarar added.
He reiterated that any such military adventurism by India would be responded to assuredly and decisively.
“The International community must remain alive to the reality that the onus of escalatory spiral and its ensuing consequences shall squarely lie with India,” Tarar emphasised.
He reiterated the nation’s resolve to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan at all cost.
Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres held calls with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and India’s foreign minister to express “deep concern at rising tensions”, his spokesman said.
The UN chief “underscored the need to avoid a confrontation that could result in tragic consequences. He offered his good offices to support de-escalation efforts”, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
bd-pratidin/GR
