ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on late Tuesday claimed that “credible intelligence” reports suggested that India plans to conduct military action against Pakistan in the next 24 to 36 hours—an action he warned would have “catastrophic consequences for the entire region and beyond”.
“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 fabricated allegations of involvement in the Pahalgam incident,” said the minister while talking to the media persons.
The minister said Pakistan vehemently rejected the “Indian self-assumed hubristic role of Judge, Jury and Executioner in the region” which is completely “reckless”.
“Pakistan has been the victim of terrorism itself and truly understands the pain of this scourge,” he said, adding that Pakistan has always condemned it in all its forms and manifestations anywhere in the world.”
Being a responsible state, Tarar 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 entire region and beyond,” the minister stressed.
He said that 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.
He said Pakistan 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 will squarely lie with India,” Tarar emphasised. He reiterated the nation’s resolve to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan at all costs.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a telephone conversation with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, during which he firmly rejected Indian allegations linking Pakistan to the Pahalgam incident and warned of serious consequences in the event of any Indian misadventure.
During the telephone call, PM Shehbaz and the UN chief discussed the recent developments in South Asia. 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, PM Shehbaz categorically rejected any attempt to link Pakistan with the Pahalgam incident and reiterated his call for a transparent and neutral investigation into the incident.
PM Shehbaz 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 Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
The Prime Minister particularly highlighted India’s suspension of the Indus Water Treaty and said that water was the lifeline of 240 million people.
While underscoring that Pakistan shall defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity with full force in case of any misadventure by India, PM Shehbaz encouraged the UN Secretary-General to counsel India to act responsibly and exercise restraint.
He emphasised that the unresolved issue of Jammu & Kashmir remained the root cause of instability in South Asia, and urged the UN Secretary-General to play his role for its just resolution through the UN Security Council.
PM Shehbaz 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.
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