India-Pakistan tensions surge as Islamabad fears imminent military strike

For now, the world watches anxiously as to how India is going to punish Pakistan and bring it down to its knees. With tensions at a fever pitch and Indian anger running high, the next few days could determine whether the region plunges into an full fledged War this time or India does some deep strikes including deep salami slicing of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir or even fully liberate the area.

The World is in tension because both India and Pakistan, are nuclear-armed neighbors with a volatile history, which has sharply escalated following the deadly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir union territory.

As military posturing intensifies, his time an angry India is even ready to call the nuclear bluff of a rouge nation like Pakistan.

On April 29, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar made a dramatic announcement, alleging that India is planning to launch a military strike against Pakistan within the next 24 to 36 hours.

“Pakistan has credible intelligence that India intends to launch a military strike, using the Pahalgam incident as a false pretext,” Tarar stated on X (formerly Twitter).

He warned that any act of aggression would be met with a “decisive response” and placed full responsibility for any serious consequences on India. He does not know that this time India’s punishment will be very severe.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has authorized the Indian armed forces with “full operational freedom” to choose the mode, targets, and timing of a response to the terrorist attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, southern Kashmir.

That attack, which killed 26 civilians-mostly tourists-was the deadliest incident in the region since the 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing that killed 40 paramilitary personnel.

The recent massacre was carried out at a popular picnic spot and shocked the nation. The Resistance Front (TRF), believed to be an offshoot of the Pakistan-based jihadist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack.

In an emergency meeting of the Cabinet Committee Security which was also attended by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defense Staff General Anil Chauhan and the three Services Chiefs -Prime Minister Modi reportedly emphasized that India must “deal a crushing blow to terrorism.”

Modi’s statements have been increasingly showing te deep Indian anger. Speaking at a political rally in Bihar, he emotionally declared, “We will pursue them to the ends of the Earth.”

Later, he warned that “the conspirators and perpetrators of this attack will face the harshest response.” His rhetoric suggests that India is prepared to escalate its counterterrorism efforts well beyond its borders if necessary.

Indian media has reported that four large-scale counterterrorism operations are already underway across Jammu and Kashmir, with a particular focus on southern regions like Pulwama, a previous hotspot for terror activities.

Public parks and gardens in vulnerable areas have been closed as Army and Central security forces conduct sweeping search operations across rural and forested areas.

At the United Nations, India’s Deputy Permanent Representative Yojna Patel firmly rejected Pakistan’s denial and even accusations made against India, condemning Islamabad for making “baseless allegations” and highlighting what she described as Pakistan’s long-standing record of providing sanctuary to terrorists.

The “Kashmir dispute” has been at the heart of Indo-Pakistani tensions since the partition of British India in 1947. Three major wars and countless skirmishes have been fought over Kashmir, and the possibility of another conflict always simmers beneath the surface.

However now India is determined to liberate Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. After the Pulwama attack in 2019 India had carried out air strikes deep inside Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, targeting what were Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist camps in Balakot. That incident marked the first time since the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War that Indian fighter jets crossed the LoC.

Now, India has again expelled Pakistani diplomats, suspended visas for Pakistani citizens, closed the land border, and this time even suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, a key accord over the sharing of river waters between the two countries.

The international community is watching the unfolding crisis with increasing alarm. Any military confrontation between India and Pakistan risks spiraling out of control, particularly given both nations’ nuclear arsenals.

A single miscalculation could have catastrophic consequences not only for South Asia but for global security. So it is imperative that rest of the world should ensure total dismantling of the terror eco system in Pakistan or India will do it alone.

The United States, China, Russia, and the United Nations have historically urged both sides to exercise maximum restraint during previous flare-ups.

However, this time India leaderships appears politically, militarily and emotionally determined in demonstrating strength and all global diplomatic efforts may find limited traction.

India’s rising profile as a military and economic power may complicate traditional calls for neutrality. Pakistan, for its part, faces economic instability and a strained relationship with many of its erstwhile allies, including the Gulf states, leaving it with limited diplomatic leverage.

Given the signals from New Delhi, India appears determined to respond militarily. The key question is whether it chooses a limited, precision operation-as it did in Balakot-or opts for a broader punishment to reshape the security dynamics in entire South Asia.

For Pakistan, any Indian military strike, however limited, will demand a visible response to avoid perceptions of weakness domestically. Islamabad’s military doctrine emphasizes robust retaliation, which will in return ensure it’s total destruction.