Pakistan says India has brought countries ‘closer to major conflict’

Pakistan's foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday that India was to blame for bringing the two nuclear-armed neighbors closer to war.

"It is most unfortunate that India's reckless conduct has brought the two nuclear-armed states closer to a major conflict," FO spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said in a press briefing in the capital Islamabad.

"India's jingoism and war hysteria should be a source of serious concern for the world."

The remarks came as tensions soared between the rival nations. Pakistan’s state media reported that the country had intercepted and destroyed 77 Indian drones over the past two days. India, on the other hand, claimed it had shot down two Pakistani fighter jets in a retaliatory operation — a claim Islamabad has strongly denied.

The FO spokesperson called the Indian actions “aggressive and provocative,” saying that innocent civilians, including women and children, had been martyred in attacks on civilian areas.

The spokesperson questioned the legitimacy of such strikes, saying, “Can any state in the world justify launching attacks on another country based solely on statements circulating on social media?” He reiterated that Pakistan reserves the right to respond in accordance with the United Nations Charter.

Pakistan also rejected the Indian foreign secretary’s recent remarks, calling them baseless and inflammatory. “We categorically reject these statements and urge the international community to hold India accountable,” the spokesperson said.

Referencing the arrest of serving Indian naval officer and RAW agent Kulbhushan Jadhav from Balochistan in March 2016, the spokesperson described him as a "symbol of India’s extremist agenda." He further accused India of fueling Hindu extremism, which, according to him, has led to the deaths of at least 40 Pakistanis.

The spokesperson also condemned India’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, calling it a violation of international commitments. “India cannot unilaterally withdraw from the Indus Waters Treaty. Doing so undermines the spirit of global agreements,” the spokesperson said.

He warned that the implications of such actions would be severe for Pakistan’s agriculture-dependent economy, affecting millions of lives across the country. He added that parts of the Neelum–Jhelum Hydropower Project had already been damaged as a result of Indian aggression.

The spokesperson recalled that Pakistan had earlier called for a thorough investigation into recent escalations, but “India chose the path of aggression.” He also blamed India for stalling past investigations into incidents such as the Mumbai and Pathankot attacks.

New wave of escalation

The latest round of hostilities was triggered by a deadly April 22 attack in Pahalgam, in Indian-administered Kashmir, where 26 Indian tourists were killed by unknown gunmen. India blamed Pakistan for the attack, while Islamabad denied any involvement and called for an impartial investigation.

On Wednesday, India said it struck nine “terrorist camps” in Pakistan in response to the Pahalgam attack.

Pakistan denied the presence of militant sites, saying 31 civilians were killed. It also claimed to have shot down five Indian jets—an assertion India dismissed, though some reports partially confirmed the damage.

Clashes have since intensified along the Line of Control and beyond.

The current crisis marks the worst military flare-up between India and Pakistan since the 1999 Kargil conflict.

For the first time since the 1971 war, Indian strikes targeted cities deep within Pakistan’s mainland.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since their independence from Britain in 1947—two of them over Kashmir. The latest tensions come at a fragile time for Pakistan’s economy and risk spiraling into a broader regional conflict.