Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said on Monday that a military invasion by neighboring India was imminent, amid a deadly attack on tourists in Kashmir last week that has heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed countries, Reuters reported.
The attack killed 26 people and sparked outrage in India, as well as calls for action against Pakistan.
India accuses Pakistan of supporting militants in Kashmir, a region over which both countries claim control and have fought two wars, Reuters noted.
„We have strengthened our forces because this is something that is imminent now. "So in this situation, some strategic decisions have to be taken and they have been taken," Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told Reuters.
He said India's rhetoric was getting tougher and that Pakistan's armed forces had briefed the government on the possibility of an Indian attack. He did not elaborate on why he believed an invasion was imminent.
After the attack in Kashmir, India identified two suspects as Pakistani nationals. Islamabad denied any role in the attack and called for a neutral investigation.
Asif also said Pakistan was on high alert and would only use its nuclear arsenal if "there is a direct threat to our existence."