Pakistani authorities have announced that they have “credible intelligence“ according to which India is planning military action within the next 24 to 36 hours. According to Islamabad, this move will be justified by “baseless and fabricated allegations“ about Pakistan's involvement in a recent incident in Pahalgam, reports News.bg.
At this stage, the Indian foreign and defense ministries have not officially commented on the allegations.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called on the United States to put pressure on India, in order to “reduce the rhetoric and act responsibly“. On Wednesday, Sharif held talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, expressing Islamabad's concerns.
At the same time, India closed its airspace to Pakistani airlines, days after Pakistan imposed a similar ban on Indian airlines. This is another sign of growing tensions between the two neighbors.
In an official statement, the Pakistani government stressed that the country "condemns terrorism in all its forms" and would respond "confidently and decisively" to any aggression from India.
Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the attackers behind the Pahalgam attack would be found and punished. India blames Pakistan for the April 22 attack, which killed 26 people. Islamabad denies the allegations and has called for a neutral international investigation.
The United Nations has also responded, stressing the need to avoid confrontation and encouraging diplomatic dialogue between the two countries.