Pakistan warns of nuclear retaliation amid escalating tensions with India

In a major escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan, Pakistan's envoy to Russia, Muhammad Khalid Jamali, has threatened that Islamabad would employ its full arsenal of military capabilities, including nuclear arms, if attacked by India or if New Delhi tampers with Pakistan's water supply. Speaking in an interview with Russian broadcaster RT, Jamali said Pakistan has reliable intelligence suggesting India is gearing up military strikes on Pakistani territory.

Threat of nuclear retribution

Jamali's statement is among the strongest threats of nuclear retribution made by a senior Pakistani official against India in recent years. "We in Pakistan will use the whole gamut of power, conventional and nuclear," he declared. The threat follows the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 people, the majority tourists, were murdered. India accused Pakistan of harboring and sponsoring terror groups that conducted the attack, but Islamabad has objected to any role. 

Suspension of Indus waters treaty

India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a 1960 World Bank-brokered treaty that governs the division of the Indus River and its tributaries among the two countries, following the attack. Jamali described India's suspension of the treaty as a warlike action, saying that any action to capture the lower riparian's water, or to stop it, or to divert it would be a war against Pakistan and would be countered with full strength of power, including full gamut of power.

Pakistan's defence minister weighs in

The threat follows Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif's remark on Friday during an interview with Geo News that Islamabad would strike any facility India builds on the Indus River in violation of the treaty. "Of course, if they attempt to build any kind of structure, we will demolish it," Asif said.

Nuclear test fire

Against the backdrop of nuclear threats hogging the headlines, Pakistan's military on Saturday test-fired the Abdali surface-to-surface missile. The weapon has a 450-kilometre range and is capable of carrying conventional as well as nuclear warheads. The test was held to give "operational readiness" and is taken seriously by the Indian government as a provocation.

Trade ban escalates tensions

The two countries' tensions were further fueled when India prohibited the import of goods from or through Pakistan and denied Pakistani ships entry into Indian ports. Pakistan followed suit within hours, imposing its own prohibition on Indian ships. The Directorate General of Shipping also issued a ban on sea trade between the two countries.

Both countries involved in a war of words

The situation between India and Pakistan continues to be extremely volatile, with both countries involved in a war of words and building up military tensions. The threat of nuclear reprisal and the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty have raised alarms about the potential implications of increased conflict.