Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, on Wednesday, said Islamabad is trying its best to avoid a major war, after India initiated its morning military attack on terrorist facilities in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Punjab province.
Indian forces launched Operation Sindoor early on Wednesday, targeting nine suspected terror targets in PoK and Punjab. The strike was in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack on Pahalgam, in which 26 people lost their lives.
Talking to Becky Anderson on CNN Connect the World, Asif acknowledged the seriousness of the situation: "There is a possibility of escalation of this conflict into a full-scale war, which we are trying to avoid."
Asif also charged India with violating international boundaries while conducting the strikes. "They [India] crossed an international boundary last night," he stated.
Calling the attack open provocation, Asif stated, "The Wednesday morning attack was naked violation, and an invitation to broaden the conflict and perhaps convert it into something much wider and much more dangerous for the region."
Asked what comes next, Asif cautioned that Pakistan is "prepared for all-out war.".
There is no doubt whatsoever, since India is putting the stakes higher, the stakes of this war," he added. "So… we can't be surprised.".
Earlier on Tuesday, while talking to Bloomberg Television, Asif was more diplomatic, expressing the Pakistan desire to defuse — as long as India does so too. "We've kept saying every time in these last two weeks that we'll never take any step against India which has an aggressive nature. But if we're attacked, we'll retaliate. But if India is also afraid and becomes flexible, surely we'll end this tension," he further added.
Pakistan Army spokesman Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry confirmed that 26 people were killed and 46 others were injured in the Indian missile attacks.
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