India Grants Military Free Hand as Pakistan Warns of Strike Within Hours.
Pakistan has raised a red flag over what it claims is an impending military move by India, saying it has solid intelligence that an attack may happen within the next day or so. The warning came Wednesday, just after a brutal attack in Kashmir claimed the lives of several civilians. Pakistan’s government is accusing India of using that tragedy as an excuse to start a conflict.
Islamabad has denied having any hand in the shooting of tourists in Pahalgam, which Indian officials say was the worst incident of its kind in 25 years. Pakistan’s Information Minister, Attaullah Tarar, claimed India was preparing a strike that could come anytime within 24 to 36 hours. While Pakistan’s foreign minister Ishaq Dar said the country had no interest in initiating a war, he made it clear that any military action by India would be met with a powerful response.
So far, New Delhi hasn’t confirmed the claims, but signals from the Indian government suggest the situation is serious. A high-level source told AFP that Prime Minister Modi had given the military full clearance to respond as it sees fit. Modi has been vocal about punishing those behind the attack, vowing to track them down no matter where they are.
Kashmir continues to sit at the heart of decades of tension between the two nuclear powers. The latest spike in violence has sparked fresh worry, especially near the Line of Control — the heavily militarised frontier separating Indian and Pakistani zones. Reports say the two sides have exchanged fire for six nights straight, and Pakistan says it shot down two Indian drones that crossed into its airspace.
People living near the border are bracing for the worst. In the Pakistani village of Chakothi, some residents have begun cleaning and preparing old bunkers, worried that the fighting might reach them. “We are making sure the bunker is ready, so we’re not taken by surprise if there’s an airstrike,” said local villager Muhammad Javed.
The rising tension is drawing attention far beyond South Asia. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has spoken separately with leaders from both countries, offering to help ease the situation. Meanwhile, the United States says one of its top diplomats, Marco Rubio, will be reaching out to both sides in an effort to cool things down.
Back in India, authorities are deep into their investigation of the Kashmir shooting. They’ve issued wanted posters for three suspects — two Pakistanis and one Indian — all linked to the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba group. Each suspect carries a two-million-rupee bounty. Police are making arrests and expanding the manhunt.
This moment feels eerily similar to 2019, when a deadly bombing in Pulwama triggered Indian airstrikes on Pakistani territory and brought both countries to the brink. With military activity and tough talk rising again, there’s a growing fear that history might repeat itself.
