Pakistani envoy threatens India with Nuclear weapons

New Delhi (India) May 4: The ambassador of Pakistan to Russia has issued a warning, saying that if India attacks or if New Delhi interferes with Pakistan's water supply, Islamabad may use its whole military weapons, including nuclear weapons.

Muhammad Khalid Jamali, Pakistan's top diplomat in Moscow, stated in an interview with Russian network RT on Saturday that Islamabad has reliable information indicating India is preparing military attacks on Pakistani territory. "There are some other leaked documents whereby it has been decided to strike certain areas of Pakistan," claimed Mr. Jamali. "So that makes us feel that this is going to happen and it's imminent."

The remarks are among the most direct threats of nuclear punishment against India that a senior Pakistani official has spoken. "We in Pakistan will use the full spectrum of power, both conventional and nuclear," he stated.

Additionally, Jamali repeated Pakistan's demand for a "neutral" investigation. "As the two countries are two nuclear powers, there is all the need to de-escalate the tensions," he stated.

"I think the role of the international community comes in. And in this regard, we expect that powers like China and Russia can participate in those investigations," he continued.

In the face of rising tensions and declining diplomatic ties with India, Pakistan's defence minister, Khawaja Asif, had earlier issued a warning that his nation's military was "prepared for any eventuality.”

Pakistan's military launched a test of the Abdali surface-to-surface missile on Saturday amid nuclear action threats. The weapon can carry both conventional and nuclear payloads and has a 450-kilometer range. As per the Pakistani army's statement, the purpose of the launch was to guarantee "operational readiness". 

Mr. Jamali's caution comes after the terror incident in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 people, primarily tourists. Tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours have increased as a result of the incident. While Islamabad has denied any participation, India has accused Pakistan of providing support to the terrorist organisations that planned the attack.

India retaliated by suspending the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a World Bank brokered deal from 1960 that specifies how the two nations will divide the Indus River and its tributaries. Long seen as a stabilising agreement in an unpredictable bilateral relationship, this pact had withstood several wars between India and Pakistan.

The closure of the Attari-Wagah land border crossing and the suspension of postal exchanges, including packages and letters sent by air or surface transportation, are additional steps announced in recent days.

- Aadrika Tayal