Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Friday asserted that the nation has “no other option except a full-scale war” against India in response to what he called India’s more aggressive military position over the last four days.
In an interview with a Pakistani news channel, Asif said, “We don’t have any other option but this… We have to return the money to them in the same coin.” Asked the anchor, if war was now inevitable, Asif responded, “Absolutely, there shouldn’t be any uncertainty regarding it.
His stark warning comes after Pakistan’s missile-defied drone attack on several Indian military bases on Thursday night. Only a day back, Asif had hoped that they could keep away from a full-scale war. In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, he stated, “There is a possibility of expansion of this conflict into a full-fledged war, which we are trying to avoid.”
The growing tensions are a result of India’s Operation Sindoor, initiated early on Wednesday in response to the April 22 terrorist attack on Pahalgam, killing 26 individuals. Indian troops, in the course of the operation, attacked and destroyed nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
With the heightened rhetoric on both sides, the region continues to be on high alert, with increasing fears of breaking into open conflict.
