Tensions between India and Pakistan have reached a dangerous high following the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of at least 26 people, mostly tourists, on April 22, 2025.

The attack, carried out by terrorists in the Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam, has been described as one of the deadliest against Indian civilians in the region in decades. Eyewitnesses reported that the assailants specifically targeted non-Muslims, questioning victims about their religious identity before opening fire.

The Resistance Front, an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the massacre. Indian authorities have accused this group of operating as a proxy for Pakistan’s military intelligence, an allegation Islamabad has firmly denied.

In the immediate aftermath, India took a series of unprecedented diplomatic and economic measures: expelling Pakistani diplomats, suspending visas for Pakistani nationals, closing border crossings, and withdrawing from the Indus Waters Treaty. Pakistan responded by suspending the Shimla Agreement, closing its own borders and airspace to Indian traffic, and instituting a complete trade embargo. 

Diplomatic channels between the two nuclear-armed neighbours have all but collapsed, with both sides recalling their high commissioners and reducing embassy staff to bare minimums.

Amidst this escalating crisis, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif issued a stern warning during a press briefing, threatening retaliation if India undertakes any cross-border military action. Asif declared, “If India conducts acts of terrorism in our cities, it will be tit for tat - and we will make them pay,” further alleging that Pakistan had intelligence about potential Indian plans to target Pakistani cities.

He categorically denied any Pakistani involvement in the Pahalgam attack, stating, “There is absolutely no connection to us in this incident. We don’t support terrorism under any circumstances, and innocent people should not be the target anywhere in any local conflicts”.

Pakistan’s National Security Committee echoed Asif’s warnings, stating that any threat to Pakistan’s sovereignty would be met with “firm reciprocal measures in all domains,” and that any attempt to divert river waters would be considered an act of war and responded to with full force.

The Pakistani government has also highlighted what it calls India’s “systemic persecution of minorities” and accused New Delhi of exploiting the tragedy for political gain, while reiterating its support for the Kashmiri right to self-determination.

On the ground, military tensions have intensified, with both sides increasing troop deployments and reporting a spike in ceasefire violations along the Line of Control. International observers have expressed concern over the potential for miscalculation and further escalation between the two countries, both of which possess nuclear arsenals.

The Pahalgam terror attack has plunged India-Pakistan relations into one of their most volatile phases in recent history. With diplomatic ties severed, economic links cut, and both militaries on high alert, the threat of further escalation looms large, especially in light of Pakistan’s explicit warnings of retaliation against any Indian cross-border action.