Pakistan Warns of "Catastrophic Consequences" if India Launches Military Strike
Tensions between Pakistan and India are escalating rapidly, with Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States issuing a stark warning about the potential for "catastrophic consequences" should India proceed with a military strike that Islamabad believes is imminent. The warning follows a recent attack in the disputed Kashmir region, which India has blamed on Pakistan.
Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, urged President Donald Trump to intervene and use his dealmaking skills to broker an agreement with India. He emphasized the gravity of the situation, describing it as a potential "nuclear flashpoint" that could have devastating repercussions for the region and the world.
"This is one nuclear flashpoint," Ambassador Saeed stated. "It could be an important part of President Trump’s legacy to attend to this situation – not with a Band-Aid solution, but by addressing the core issue: the Kashmir dispute."
The ambassador characterized India’s response to the attack in Pahalgam, which resulted in the deaths of several Indian security forces, as "dangerously premature and inflammatory." He noted that India immediately leveled accusations against Pakistan, pointing to a post-investigation report that was filed just 10 minutes after the incident, despite the challenging terrain of the area.
Pakistan has claimed to possess credible intelligence indicating that an Indian counter-attack on its territory is imminent. The Indian Embassy in the U.S. has not responded to requests for comment.
The recent surge in tensions was sparked by a tourist massacre on April 22 in Belgaum, Kashmir. All but one of the victims were Indian citizens. India swiftly accused Pakistan of involvement, a charge that Islamabad has vehemently denied.
The attack took place in a remote valley accessible only by foot or horse. Survivors reported that the gunmen accused some of the victims of supporting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Ambassador Saeed expressed concern that the region, home to over 1.5 billion people, is once again being held "hostage to the war of hysteria" by the Indian government and media, which he said "immediately began beating war drums." The two nations have exchanged gunfire across their heavily militarized borders since the attack.
He highlighted Pakistan’s request for evidence linking it to the attack and its offer to participate in a neutral, transparent inquiry, both of which he said have been ignored by India.
"Any misadventure or miscalculation can lead to a nuclear interface," the ambassador warned. "That is certainly not desirable in such a densely populated region."
While Pakistan denies any involvement in the attack, Ambassador Saeed noted that the suspected perpetrators are reportedly Indian nationals whose homes have already been raided. He questioned why India is looking beyond its borders instead of addressing what he called "administrative inadequacies" in Jammu and Kashmir, a territory he repeatedly referred to as "illegally occupied."
The ambassador also criticized India’s broader policies in Kashmir, including the alleged settlement of non-residents into the region and what he described as threats to unilaterally block water flows from Pakistan’s rivers, a move he said violates the long-standing Indus Waters Treaty.
"That is as grossly illegal as it can get," said Saeed. "This is one treaty that has withstood wars between India and Pakistan."
Pakistan has stated that it would consider the cutting off of water supplies an act of war and has appealed to The Hague, accusing New Delhi of "water terrorism."
Ambassador Saeed urged nations around the globe to assist in finding a lasting settlement to the Kashmir dispute. He cautioned against providing only temporary solutions, emphasizing the need to address the underlying issues that fuel the conflict.
"Previously, when the situation has been at this level or the tensions have escalated, the international community has attended to the situation, but taken their eyes, their attention away, even before the situation could fully diffuse," said Saeed. "This time, perhaps it would be… timely in terms of the situation elsewhere on the globe, with similar instances, which one can note and see and are being attended to – to perhaps not afford a Band-Aid solution, but to address the broader problem."
India and Pakistan each control parts of the Kashmir region but claim it in full. They have fought three wars over the territory.
In 2019, a cross-border attack carried out by militants killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary personnel in Kashmir. India responded by bombing targets inside Pakistan.
Modi’s government revoked Muslim-majority Kashmir’s autonomy in 2019, bringing it back under Indian control and prompting protests.
Kashmir has been a disputed region since both India and Pakistan gained their independence from Britain in 1947. The region is now one of the most militarized in the world. Violence by regional militant groups has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
However, Modi’s aggressive stance in Kashmir has led to relative peace over the past five years, boosting his popularity domestically. He may feel political pressure to respond forcefully to the recent attack.
Pakistan has suffered greatly from terrorism for decades, with Ambassador Saeed noting that the nation has lost between 70,000 and 90,000 lives to terror attacks in the past 20 years.
"We cannot afford any instability in the neighborhood," said Saeed. "We want a peaceful neighborhood. But as we have been repeatedly mentioning at all levels, leadership level and all the other levels, that we want peace, but that should not in any way be misconstrued as a sign of weakness. We want peace with dignity."
The situation remains highly volatile, with the potential for further escalation. The international community is watching closely, hoping to prevent a catastrophic conflict between the two nuclear-armed nations.
