Khawaja Asif warns of possible Indian attack along LoC

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday cautioned that India may initiate military action along the Line of Control (LoC) amid heightened tensions following a deadly attack in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.

He warned that Pakistan would deliver a "befitting response" to any provocation.

Speaking to the media in Islamabad, Asif said there were credible reports suggesting India could strike at any point along the LoC.

He reiterated Pakistan’s rejection of Indian allegations linking Islamabad to the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 tourists, stating that no evidence had been provided to support the claim.

Asif reaffirmed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s call for an international investigation into the attack to establish the facts. “An impartial probe will reveal whether any internal group or India itself was behind the attack,” he said.

He further criticised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of inflaming regional tensions for political purposes. “Modi is pushing South Asia to the brink of nuclear war to secure votes,” Asif stated, adding that India has long been involved in sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.

Asif also addressed recent cross-border security concerns, asserting that terrorist activity from Afghanistan into Pakistan was being backed by Indian support.

In response to the ongoing diplomatic row, Pakistan has expelled Indian diplomats and cancelled visas for Indian nationals, while India has revoked Pakistani visas, suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, and shut down the Wagah-Attari border crossing.

Separately, the National Assembly passed a resolution rejecting what it called “frivolous and baseless” Indian claims about Pakistan’s role in the Pahalgam incident.