Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told Al Jazeera that while Islamabad seeks de-escalation, Indian aggression—including drone strikes and 78 warplane incursions—has made confrontation “imminent.”
He confirmed Pakistani forces downed five Indian jets but could not verify the exact number of Indian casualties, noting clashes along the Kashmir Line of Control.
Asif warned of potential expansion to international borders but called nuclear war “worrying.”
He accused Prime Minister Modi of stoking tensions to distract from India’s domestic unrest and reiterated Pakistan’s offer for independent investigations into Indian claims of terrorist camps.
Despite this, he asserted Pakistan’s right to respond “in kind” to attacks, stressing India’s refusal to engage diplomatically leaves “no ray of hope” for peace.
