What Will India Do If Pakistan Escalates Tensions Further?

New Delhi, May 8 (NationPress) India issued a strong warning to Pakistan on Thursday, stating that any further escalation of tensions would be met with an appropriate response. “If Pakistan attempts to escalate the situation, it will be addressed in a suitable manner, placing the decision squarely on Pakistan,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri remarked during a press conference in New Delhi regarding Operation Sindoor.

He criticized the disinformation campaigns against India from Pakistan following the brutal terrorist attack in Pahalgam, asserting that the “original escalation” began with Pakistan on April 22, with Indian Armed Forces merely acting in response.

“Claims regarding the targeting of the Neelum-Jhelum dam project in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir are entirely fabricated and outright lies. India has exclusively targeted terrorist infrastructure. If such allegations are used as justification to attack Indian infrastructure, then Pakistan must bear full responsibility for the resulting consequences,” he stated.

India reiterated its concerns about Pakistan's pressure to eliminate references to The Resistance Front (TRF), the terror group linked to the Pahalgam attack, in the press statement from the April 25 United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

“This occurred after the TRF claimed responsibility for the attack not once, but twice—first shortly after the incident on April 22 and then again on the morning of April 23. It seems that only after realizing the incident's severity did they retract their claim, which fails to convince anyone,” Misri added.

The Resistance Front, which claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack, operates as a front for the UN-designated terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba. Earlier, in its reports to the UN's 1267 Sanctions Committee, India highlighted TRF's role as a cover for Pakistan-based terrorist factions.

In December 2023, India had already informed the monitoring team about the operations of LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammad through smaller groups like the TRF.

Misri emphasized Pakistan's notorious reputation as the epicenter of global terrorism, citing numerous examples.

“I shouldn't have to remind anyone where Osama Bin Laden was found or who referred to him as a martyr. Pakistan harbors many UN-proscribed terrorists and those listed by various countries. Recently, their Defence Minister and former foreign minister admitted to their country's involvement with such terror entities,” Misri noted.

Earlier on the same day, the Indian Armed Forces targeted air defense radars and systems at several locations in Pakistan.

“India's response has been proportionate and matched in intensity to Pakistan's actions. It has been reliably reported that an air defense system in Lahore has been neutralized,” the Ministry of Defence confirmed.