Pakistan accuses India of planning 'military strike' soon
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Pakistan warns it has "credible intelligence" that India is planning imminent military action within 24 to 36 hours.
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Indian and Pakistani troops are on high alert in Kashmir as tensions rise. (AFP)
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar warned early Wednesday that Islamabad has "credible intelligence" suggesting India is planning an imminent military strike within the next 24 to 36 hours.
Tarar accused New Delhi of using last week's deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir as a "pretext" for military action. “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 wrote on X.
He added that Pakistan is open to a “credible, transparent and independent investigation by a neutral commission” into the attack, which killed 26 tourists near the town of Pahalgam. “Pakistan reiterates that any such military adventurism by India would be responded to assuredly and decisively,” he 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.
— Attaullah Tarar (@TararAttaullah) April 29, 2025
Indian self assumed hubristic role of Judge, Jury and… pic.twitter.com/WVW6yhxTJ0
According to the Associated Press, authorities in Indian-controlled Kashmir have closed 48 of the region’s 87 government-approved tourist resorts following the assault, which Indian officials have blamed on Pakistan-linked militants, a charge Islamabad denies.
What did Modi tell Indian army chiefs?
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, his national security advisor, and senior generals at his residence, where he reportedly gave the military "complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets and timing of our response to the terror attack," according to government sources cited by Reuters and AFP.
India blames Pakistan for the recent militant assault in Pahalgam, accusing it of "funding and encouraging Islamist militancy in Kashmir." Islamabad denies the accusation, asserting it only provides "moral and diplomatic support" for Kashmiris seeking self-determination, and has called for "an independent investigation into the attack."
Meanwhile, cross-border exchanges between Indian and Pakistani forces continued for a fifth day. The Indian army said it had responded to "unprovoked small arms fire" from multiple Pakistani positions overnight. Pakistan’s military has not confirmed the firing, but according to state radio claimed to have shot down an Indian drone.
New Delhi has not commented on the drone incident, but Indian officials told Reuters they had identified attempts by "Pakistan-based hackers" to infiltrate military-linked websites.
Kashmir civilians bolster bunkers, tourist sites closed
Amid the renewed tensions along the Line of Control, (LoC), Kashmir residents are reinforcing underground bunkers built to withstand cross-border fire, according to reports by Agence-France Presse (AFP).
"We've endured cross-border firing, which has been a tough experience, and we don't want our children to go through the same," said Awan to AFP, a 51-year-old farmer in Chakothi, as he and his family cleared out a straw-filled shelter.
Awan and his cousin Shabbir, a retired soldier, spent about 300,000 Pakistani rupees ($1,000) in 2017 to build their bunker near the de facto border. "Every day, India makes various threats, saying they will do this and that," Shabbir said. "That is why we are cleaning these bunkers today, so that if needed, we can use them and make our lives safer."
Measuring roughly 2.5 meters deep and 3.5 meters wide, some bunkers are reinforced with concrete, while others rely on mud walls. "Our main concern is the safety of our children," said Saleema Bibi, a mother of four. "Protecting them is our biggest priority."
With the region's tourism sector also affected, authorities have shut down 48 of 87 key destinations, according to a document reviewed by Reuters.
UK calls for calm among British Indians, Pakistanis
Tensions between India and Pakistan are resonating in diaspora communities, especially in the UK, home to large Indian and Pakistani populations with historic ties to the region. Though many have lived peacefully side by side, British lawmakers now worry that rising hostilities could spill over. The 1947 partition, which created India and Pakistan, displaced millions and left a lasting legacy of animosity.
I have granted the following urgent questions in the @HouseofCommons today.
— House of Commons Speaker (@CommonsSpeaker) April 29, 2025
From @gsjosan to ask @DavidLammy, Secretary of State @FCDOGovUK, if he will make a statement on the killing of 26 people in Pahalgam, Kashmir and the increasing tensions between India and Pakistan. (1/2) https://t.co/nSHXOa7ETS
"India and Pakistan have engaged in large-scale military hostilities in the past in this region and there's a real risk that the nations could revert to military conflict again," warned Labour MP Gurinder Singh Josan.
Foreign Office Minister Hamish Falconer replied, "We are playing our role to ensure the tensions do not escalate," adding, "We are friends to them both and we do not want to see uncontrolled escalation in tensions." He urged restraint, saying, "These issues have long been discussed with passion on British streets and we call on sides, all community leaders, all involved to call for calm at a time of tension in the region."
Line of control violations spark renewed tensions
On Tuesday, Pakistani Army forces shot down an Indian surveillance quadcopter that allegedly violated Pakistan’s airspace along the Line of Control (LoC), specifically in the Manawar sector of Bhimber district. According to Pakistani security officials, the drone was engaged in surveillance activities when it was intercepted and neutralized by troops stationed in the area.
Officials credited the Pakistan Army for its swift response, saying the action successfully “thwarted the enemy’s nefarious attempt to spy across the border.” The military's preparedness and vigilance were praised as key factors in the incident's prompt resolution. Authorities further emphasized that Pakistan remains fully alert and ready to respond to any further aggression or violation of its territorial sovereignty.
#PakistanArmy has shot down an Indian Army spy quadcopter along the Line of Control (LoC) in Manawar Sector, Bhimber. #Pakistan Army is ever ready and will always give a befitting response to any misadventure by the enemy.#Pahalgam #IndiaPakistan #COAS #ISPR pic.twitter.com/3mRTfTWv2a
— Pakistan Armed Forces News 🇵🇰 (@PakistanFauj) April 29, 2025
This marks at least the second such incident in 2025. On February 25, Pakistan reported shooting down another Indian quadcopter that had crossed into its airspace. That device, according to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), was downed around 12:55 pm, with remains later recovered bearing Indian Army insignia.
These repeated drone incursions have renewed concerns over frequent LoC violations and the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, two nuclear-armed neighbors with a long history of military confrontations along the disputed border.
