Credible intelligence shows India intends military action against Pakistan in next 24-36 hours:

[ghazi52]

Credible intelligence shows India intends military action against Pakistan in next 24-36 hours: Tarar​

AFP | APP
April 29, 2025

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 last week that New Delhi blamed on Islamabad, albeit without proof.

Earlier today, 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,” he said, adding: “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.

“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,” the minister added.

Tarar 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.

India okays ‘operational freedom’ to military​

A week after the deadliest attack on civilians in the contested region in years, Modi held a closed-door meeting today with army and security chiefs, during which he told the armed forces that they had the “complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets and timing of our response to the terror attack”, a senior government source told AFP, who was not authorised to speak to the media.

The government released video images of a stern-faced Modi meeting with army chiefs, as well as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Also on Tuesday, India’s army said it had repeatedly traded gunfire with Pakistani troops across the Line of Control (LoC). The two neighbours have been trading fire across the LoC for five days now, with each blaming the other for provocation.

The Pakistan Army did not confirm the shooting, but state media reported on Tuesday it had shot down an Indian drone, calling it a violation of its airspace.

It did not say when the incident happened, and there was no comment from New Delhi.

India alleged the “Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked small arms firing across the LoC” overnight from Monday to Tuesday, the fifth night in a row that fire was exchanged there.

The Indian army said its troops had “responded in a measured and effective manner to the provocation”. There were no reports of casualties.

PM Shehbaz urges UN chief to ‘counsel India’ to ‘exercise restraint’​

Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres held calls today with 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.

During the telephone call, the prime minister affirmed that Pakistan condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, while highlighting the significant sacrifices rendered by the country in the global war against terror.

While rejecting Indian accusations against Pakistan as “baseless”, the prime minister categorically rejected any attempt to link Pakistan with the Pahalgam incident and reiterated his call for a transparent and neutral investigation into the incident.

He expressed serious concerns over India’s attempts to delegitimise the Kashmiri freedom struggle by using the bogey of terrorism, as well as its widely documented state-sponsored terrorism in occupied Kashmir.

He particularly highlighted India’s weaponisation of the waters of the Indus Basin as unacceptable, while noting that water was the lifeline of 240 million people.

While underscoring that Pakistan would defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity with full force in case of any misadventure by India, the prime minister encouraged the UN chief to counsel India to “act responsibly and exercise restraint”.

He emphasised that the unresolved issue of Jammu and Kashmir remained the root cause of instability in South Asia, and urged the UN chief to play his role for its just resolution, in accordance with relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council.

The prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment towards fostering international peace and security as a responsible member of the international community and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

The UN chief appreciated Pakistan’s efforts for peace in South Asia and said that the world could not afford any escalation in the region at the crucial time.

Relations between the nuclear-armed neighbours have plummeted after India accused Pakistan of backing an attack in occupied Kashmir on April 22 in which 26 men were killed.

Islamabad has rejected the charge and both countries have since exchanged gunfire and diplomatic barbs, as well as expelled citizens and ordered the main land border crossing shut.

Last week, Modi vowed to pursue those who carried out the attack in the tourist hotspot of Pahalgam and those who had supported it.

“I say to the whole world: India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backer,” he said on Thursday.

“We will pursue them to the ends of the Earth”.

The bellicose statements have prompted worries of a rapid spiral into military action, with several nations, including neighbouring China, calling for restraint and dialogue.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence from British rule in 1947. Both claim the territory in full.

Freedom fighters in the Indian-occupied area have waged an insurgency since 1989, seeking independence or a merger with Pakistan.

Indian police have issued wanted posters for three men accused of carrying out the attack — two alleged Pakistanis and an Indian — who they claim are members of the Lashkar-i-Taiba group, a UN-designated terrorist organisation.

They have announced a two million rupee ($23,500) bounty for information leading to each man’s arrest and carried out sweeping detentions seeking anyone suspected of links to the alleged killers.

The worst attack in recent years in occupied Kashmir was at Pulwama in 2019, when a person rammed a car packed with explosives into a security forces convoy, killing 40 and wounding 35.

Indian fighter jets carried out air strikes on Pakistani territory 12 days later. The next day, Pakistan Air Force undertook strikes across the LoC from Pakistani airspace.

Iran has already offered to mediate and Saudi Arabia has said Riyadh was trying to “prevent an escalation”.

US President Donald Trump downplayed tensions, saying on Friday the dispute will get “figured out, one way or another”.

Credible intelligence shows India intends military action against Pakistan in next 24-36 hours: Tarar

PM Shehbaz briefs UN chief on South Asia tensions, warns of serious consequences, urges UN chief to "counsel India to exercise restraint".

www.dawn.com

 

[Joe1351]

Lord Jesus, Let peace prevail between two countries.

 

[ghazi52]

Indian Rafales patrolling above held Kashmir retreat after PAF scrambles jets: state media​

APP | Dawn.com
April 30, 2025

 

[ghazi52]

Indian fighter jets patrolling above occupied Kashmir were forced to flee after the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) scrambled its jets, state media reported on Wednesday, adding to tensions between the two countries in the wake of the Pahalgam attack.

India, without offering any evidence, has implied cross-border linkages of the attackers, while Pakistan’s political and military leadership have strongly denied any involvement. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for a neutral probe into the incident.

The tensions between the arch-rivals have intensified in the past few days, with Defence Minister Khawaja Asif saying Pakistan had reinforced its forces and was ready for any incursion by India, while on the other side, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given his military “operational freedom” to act on the Pahalgam attack.

PTV News and Radio Pakistan, citing security sources, said that four Rafale fighter jets of the Indian Air Force (IAF) were spotted conducting “patrolling overnight” in occupied Kashmir without crossing the Line of Control.

“PAF jets promptly detected the presence of these Indian warplanes,” Radio Pakistan added.

“As a result of PAF’s diligent action, the Indian Rafale jets panicked and were forced to flee,” PTV News reported. The security sources also reaffirmed that the armed forces were “fully prepared and vigilant to give a befitting response to any aggression from India”.

The government and the military have yet to provide details on the incident.

The development comes after Information Minister Attaullah Tarar earlier today said “credible intelligence” reports indicated that India was planning to conduct a military action against Pakistan in the “next 24 to 36 hours”.

In a televised statement issued shortly after 2am, Tarar said: “Pakistan has credible intelligence that India intends to carry 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.”

The April 22 attack killed 26 people, mostly tourists, and was one of the deadliest armed attacks in the disputed Himalayan region since 2000. Kashmir Resistance, also known as The Resistance Front, said it “unequivocally” denied involvement in the attack, after an initial message that claimed responsibility.

Tarar said Pakistan vehemently rejected “Indian self-assumed hubristic role of judge, jury and executioner in the region” and it was completely “reckless”.

“Pakistan has been the victim of terrorism itself and truly understands the pain of this scourge,” the minister said, adding: “We have always condemned it in all its forms and manifestations anywhere in the world.”

Being a responsible state, Tarar noted, Pakistan “openheartedly offered a credible, transparent and independent investigation” by a neutral commission of experts to ascertain the truth.

“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,” he stressed.

The information minister 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,” he added.

Tarar 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 [an] escalatory spiral and its ensuing consequences shall squarely lie with India.”

He reiterated the nation’s resolve to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan at all costs.

Deputy PM Ishaq Dar has said Pakistan will not strike India but reserves the right to retaliate. He informed the Senate yesterday that intelligence reports suggest that India was contemplating some form of escalation.

Today’s incident also comes after the Pakistan Army yesterday shot down two Indian quadcopters after they violated the country’s airspace along the Line of Control (LoC) in two separate areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), official sources said.

The first drone was brought down in the Manawar sector of Bhimber district, where it was reportedly engaged in aerial surveillance when intercepted and destroyed by Pakistani troops. The second unmanned aerial vehicle was shot down in Poonch division’s Satwal sector.

The downing of the drones occurred amid continued exchange of fire along the LoC in Leepa Valley since the night of April 25, breaking a period of relative calm in the region. No casualties were immediately reported.

Meanwhile, as concerns over a potential breakdown of peace grew, shares at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) faced a major fall in intraday trade today.

 

[ghazi52]

PIA flights from Gilgit, Skardu cancelled​

Amid heightened tensions, all Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights operating from the Skardu and Gilgit airports to Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad — and vice versa — were cancelled today, according to PIA officials.

However, two Airblue flights destined between Skardu and Islamabad operated as per their schedule, the sources added.

The PIA official noted that the air route between Gilgit-Baltistan and other cities passes “near Indian territories”. When the passengers reached the airports, they were told that the flights had been cancelled due to security concerns.

Flight-tracking website Flightradar24 also confirmed the cancellations of a total of 10 PIA flights and departures of the two Airblue flights.

Iqra Khan, a flight inquiry officer at Islamabad International Airport (ISB), also told Dawn.com that PIA cancelled its flights today from the federal capital to Gilgit and vice versa, citing “airspace security” as a reason.

Yesterday, amid fears of airspace closures due to rising tensions with India, authorities had refuted rumours of a possible closure of airports.

According to IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Indian cyberattack attempts on the websites of some ministries were foiled earlier in the week.

The National Cyber Emergency Response Team (N-Cert) has warned media and content creators against sharing sensitive national security information.

Ex-PM Imran says peace is ‘priority’, calls for unity​

Amid the ongoing situation, the opposition PTI has proposed a multi-party conference with incarcerated former premier Imran Khan in attendance.

A statement posted on Imran’s X account, which is handled by a PTI member, quoted the ex-premier as telling his lawyers yesterday: “Peace is our priority but it should not be mistaken as cowardice.”

Recalling the 2019 Pulwama-Balakot incidents during his tenure, Imran said, “We offered to extend all-out cooperation to India but India failed to produce any concrete evidence.

“[…] Instead of introspection and investigation, Modi sarkar is again placing the blame on Pakistan,” the former prime minister added.

 

[ghazi52]

Pakistan Army responds to Indian firing at LoC​

Pakistan’s military leadership reaffirmed its commitment to defending the country’s territorial integrity

News Desk
April 30, 2025


The Pakistan Army responded effectively to an unprovoked ceasefire violation by Indian forces along the Line of Control (LoC) in the early hours of April 29 and 30, state TV reported, citing security sources.

Indian troops initiated the ceasefire violation in the Kayani and Mandal sectors, using small arms. The Pakistan Army immediately retaliated, targeting Indian posts and delivering what security sources described as a strong and effective response.

Several Indian posts sustained damage during the Pakistani military’s retaliation, PTV News reported.

Pakistan’s military leadership reaffirmed its commitment to defending the country’s territorial integrity and stated that any violations along the LoC would be met with an appropriate response.

Earlier, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) detected four Indian Rafale fighter jets patrolling near the Line of Control (LOC) late Tuesday night, forcing them to retreat after conducting a coordinated response, on the night between April 29 and April 30.

Security sources said the Indian jets were patrolling within the airspace over Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) when PAF aircraft detected their presence and responded swiftly.

Tensions have surged between the two nuclear-armed neighbours following a attack in Pahalgam, located in Indian-Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

The attack, which occurred on April 22, claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists, making it one of the deadliest incidents in the region since the year 2000.

On April 23, India unilaterally suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a critical water-sharing agreement brokered by the World Bank, which has held steady through numerous conflicts between the two countries.

The next day, Pakistan retaliated by threatening to put the 1972 Simla Agreement in abeyance and closing its airspace to Indian flights.

India has suggested that cross-border links may have been involved in the attack, although it has not provided concrete evidence. In contrast, Pakistan has strongly denied any involvement.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for an independent investigation into the incident to determine the truth.

Meanwhile, Information Minister Atta Tarar warned late Tuesday that Islamabad has credible intelligence indicating India may launch a military strike within the next 24 to 36 hours, using the recent Pahalgam attack as a pretext.

 

[El Sidd]

The restrain shown by Pakistani government is admirable yet futile in larger sum game. With Simla Accord suspended, it is recommended that the scope of Operation Rad Al Fassad be extended beyond CFL and measures of preemptive deterence employed at all strategic infrastructure aimed like daggers to Pakistans strategic water security.

 

[ghazi52]

Pakistan claims 'credible intelligence' India is planning an imminent military strike​

George Wright
BBC News

Getty Images

Pakistan's information minister says that the country has "credible intelligence" that India intends to launch a military strike within the next 24 to 36 hours.

Attaullah Tarar's comments come after India accused Pakistan of supporting militants behind an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 tourists last week. Islamabad rejects the allegations.

Tarar said that India intends to use the attack as a "false pretext" for a strike and that "any such military adventurism by India would be responded to assuredly and decisively".

The BBC has contacted the Indian foreign ministry for comment.

The attack near the tourist town of Pahalgam was the deadliest attack on civilians in two decades in the disputed territory. Both India and Pakistan claim the region and have fought two wars over it.

Troops from both sides have traded intermittent small-arms fire across the border in recent days.

There has been speculation over whether India will respond with military strikes against Pakistan, as it did after deadly militant attacks in 2019 and 2016.

Authorities said last week they had conducted extensive searches in Indian-administered Kashmir, detaining more than 1,500 people for questioning. More people have been detained since then, although the numbers are unclear.

Authorities have demolished the houses of at least 10 alleged militants. At least one was reportedly linked to a suspect named in the shootings.

Kashmir, which India and Pakistan claim in full but administer only in part, has been a flashpoint between the two nuclear-armed countries since they were partitioned in 1947.

Indian-administered Kashmir has seen an armed insurgency against Indian rule since 1989, with militants targeting security forces and civilians alike.

India has not named any group it suspects carried out the attack in Pahalgam and it remains unclear who did it. A little-known group called the Resistance Front, which was initially reported to have claimed it carried out the shootings, issued a statement denying involvement. The front is reportedly affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based militant group.

Indian police have named three of four suspected attackers. They said two were Pakistani nationals and one a local man from Indian-administered Kashmir. There is no information on the fourth man.

Many survivors said the gunmen specifically targeted Hindu men.

The attack has sparked widespread anger in India, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly saying the country will hunt the suspects "till the ends of the earth" and that those who planned and carried it out "will be punished beyond their imagination".

 

[ghazi52]

Pakistan’s envoy calls on Trump to ease tensions with India: report​

Dawn.com
May 1, 2025

Pakistan’s envoy to the United States has asked President Donald Trump to step in and help ease soaring tensions with neighbouring India in the wake of a deadly attack in occupied Kashmir, according to a report by Newsweek.

The April 22 attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam killed 26 people, mostly tourists, marking one of the deadliest assaults in the region since 2000. India has implied cross-border links without evidence, while Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership have rejected the accusation and called for a neutral probe.

Tensions have since spiked, with Pakistan reinforcing its forces and India’s premier granting “operational freedom” to his military. As Pakistan, in the early hours of Wednesday, said it expected an incursion from India within the next 24-36 hours, diplomatic channels from other countries have been engaged to prevent a possible military confrontation.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Rizwan Saeed Sheikh told Newsweek yesterday that for a president “standing for peace in the world as a pronounced objective during this administration” — referring to Trump — there was no “higher or flashier flashpoint” than the Kashmir issue.