Pakistan Threatens "Full Spectrum of Power" Amid Rising India Tensions Post-Pahalgam Attack

Agencies & KalimNews, May 4, 2025, New Delhi : Amid heightened tensions following the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 people, Pakistan’s ambassador to Russia, Muhammad Khalid Jamali, has issued a stark warning, stating that Islamabad could resort to the "full spectrum of power", including nuclear weapons, if India launches military action or disrupts its water supply.

Speaking to Russian broadcaster RT, Jamali claimed Pakistan had credible intelligence, including leaked documents, suggesting India was preparing imminent strikes on specific locations within Pakistani territory. He stated that "irresponsible" media coverage and political rhetoric in India had exacerbated the situation, asserting that “this is going to happen and it’s imminent.”

In his remarks, Jamali stressed that Pakistan would not engage in comparisons of military might but would use all means available, conventional and nuclear, if attacked. “We will use the full spectrum of power – both conventional and nuclear,” he said, adding that the Pakistani military was prepared and backed by its people.

This threat follows similar declarations from other senior Pakistani officials. Minister Hanif Abbasi recently warned that Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, which includes Ghori, Shaheen, and Ghaznavi missiles and approximately 130 warheads, was maintained specifically for deterrence against India. He cautioned that if India halted Pakistan’s water supply under the Indus Waters Treaty, it should prepare for “full-scale war.”

Further escalating the rhetoric, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told Reuters that Islamabad would consider using nuclear weapons only if it faced a direct threat to its existence, but also warned India against building infrastructure to divert the Indus River waters. He said such an act would be considered an act of war.

In a late-night briefing on Wednesday, Pakistan’s Information Minister Ataullah Tarar claimed that Indian military strikes could occur within 24 to 36 hours based on intelligence inputs. He warned that any aggression would result in a decisive Pakistani response and that India would be held accountable for regional instability. Notably, Tarar’s social media account has been restricted in India.

Pakistan's military, on May 3, tested the Abdali surface-to-surface missile capable of carrying nuclear payloads, citing it as part of routine operational preparedness. Indian sources viewed the launch as a deliberate provocation, although there has been no formal response from India's Ministry of External Affairs.

India, in response to the April 22 attack, has undertaken significant diplomatic and economic measures. These include suspending the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, revoking visas issued to Pakistani nationals, banning all imports from Pakistan, halting mail and parcel exchanges, and closing the Attari-Wagah land border crossing. Indian airspace has also been closed to Pakistani carriers, and maritime commerce between the two countries has been halted under directives from the Directorate General of Shipping.

India has blamed the Pahalgam attack on The Resistance Front, a known proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba. The assault targeted non-Muslim tourists in the Baisaran valley, with reports indicating victims were asked to recite the Kalma before being shot at point-blank range.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after a series of high-level security meetings, granted the Indian armed forces full operational freedom to respond to the attack. Meanwhile, Pakistan has announced reciprocal diplomatic downgrades and suspended the Simla Agreement.

The sharp rise in hostilities has triggered international concern, with many observers cautioning against inflammatory rhetoric and urging restraint to prevent a wider regional conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.