Escalating India-Pakistan Tensions: Pakistani Ambassador Threatens Nuclear Response

Tensions between India and Pakistan have reached alarming levels following last month's deadly Pahalgam terror attack, with Pakistan's Ambassador to Russia, Muhammad Khalid Jamali, openly threatening nuclear retaliation if India launches military strikes against Pakistan.

In a recent interview with RT, Ambassador Jamali claimed that leaked documents indicate India plans to strike specific areas in Pakistan, making conflict "imminent." He stated firmly that Pakistan would respond with "the full spectrum of power - both conventional and nuclear," should India take military action.

This threat comes amid growing fears of Indian retaliation after Pakistan-backed terrorists killed 26 people, including a Nepali national, in the Baisaran valley of Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22. Reports indicate terrorists targeted non-Muslim tourists, forcing them to recite Islamic declarations of faith before shooting them at point-blank range.

The diplomatic crisis has intensified with multiple Pakistani officials making similar threats. Pakistan minister Hanif Abbasi warned that Pakistan's arsenal of Ghori, Shaheen, and Ghaznavi missiles, along with 130 nuclear warheads, was kept "only for India." Another minister, Ataullah Tarar, claimed Pakistan had received "credible intelligence" that India may conduct military strikes within 24-36 hours.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reportedly granted Indian armed forces "complete operational freedom" to respond to the attack and vowed to hunt down those responsible. India has already taken several retaliatory measures, including downgrading diplomatic ties, suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, canceling Pakistani visas, and closing Indian airspace to Pakistani airlines.

Pakistan has responded with reciprocal measures, including suspending the Simla Agreement, while its Defense Minister Khawaja Asif stated that while Pakistan remains on high alert, nuclear weapons would only be used if there was "a direct threat to our existence."