Pahalgam attack: Pakistan says there's 'imminent threat of kinetic action' by India

In the wake of rising tensions and fears of an aggressive military operation by India in response to the terrorist attack in Jammu & Kashmir's Pahalgam, Pakistan on Friday said that there was "imminent threat of kinetic action" by New Delhi.

"In this politically motivated and highly provocative environment created by India's irresponsible and destabilizing actions in the wake of the Pahalgam attack , as we speak, there is reasonable intelligence indicating towards imminent threat of kinetic action by India against Pakistan," permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said in a press conference.

The Pakistan's ambassador to UN also reiterated his country's claim that withholding Indus waters "will be considered as an 'Act of War'" and said that Islamabad will retaliate and "exercise its inherent and legitimate right to self-defence".

"Holding of the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance is unilateral and illegal. Pakistan's National Security Committee has made it categorically clear that any attempt to stop or divert the natural flow of water that rightfully belongs to Pakistan in accordance with the provisions of this treaty and the usurpation of the rights of the lower riparian will be considered as an act of war,” he said while responding to a question in the press conference.

Responding to a question on whether Pakistan is planning to ask for a meeting of the Security Council in the wake of rising tensions between India and Pakistan after the terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people on April 22, Ahmad said that Pakistan has a "right" to seek a meeting of the United Nations Security Council when "appropriate".

"Here it is evident that there was an incident but now what has evolved in terms of the situation which is a real threat to regional and international peace and security, and we believe that the Security Council, in fact, has the mandate, and it would be very legitimate for any member of the Council, including Pakistan, to request a meeting, a discussion of the Security Council, to consider this very serious situation that has evolved," he said.

"We have discussed that with the Council members. We have discussed that with last month's presidency, and this month's presidency. We are observing the situation very closely, and we have the right to convene a meeting when we feel appropriate," Ahmad said.

However, he did not directly respond to a question from news agency PTI regarding recent remarks by Pakistani defence minister Khawaja Asif. In a TV interview with Sky News last week, Asif had said that Pakistan had been "doing dirty work" for the West for decades, when asked whether the country had supported, trained, and funded terrorists.

On April 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged strong action against those responsible for the Pahalgam terror attack, saying the terrorists and their conspirators would be punished in ways beyond their imagination. He asserted that the attackers had not just targeted unarmed tourists, but had challenged the very soul of India.

During a high-level meeting with senior defence officials on April 29, PM Modi said that the armed forces have full operational freedom to choose how, when, and where to respond to the attack, news agency PTI reported quoting government sources.