'Can't rule out all-out war or hostile strategy from India': Pakistan's Khawaja Asif says country on 'full alert'

New Delhi: Islamabad cannot rule out the possibility of an "all-out" war with India, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Tuesday, adding that his country is on "full alert" mode amid simmering border tensions with New Delhi. Asif further said that Pakistan is not in a position to ignore threats from India and said that "we must stay full alert".

In an interview with Samaa TV, Asif said, "We are neither ignoring India nor trusting it under any circumstances. Based on my analysis, I cannot rule out an all-out war or any hostile strategy from India, including border incursions or attacks (presumably Afghan)."

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India-Pak strained ties

Already-strained relations between India and Pakistan worsened after the April Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 innocent people lost their lives. Following the deadly attack, India launched Operation Sindoor in May targeting terror establishments in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. This was followed by a four-day military conflict between India and Pakistan.

The Pakistan minister's remarks come days after Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi called Operation Sindoor as an "88-hour trailer", underscoring that the India was prepared to "teach them (Pakistan) how to behave responsible with a neighbouring nation" of the situation demanded it.

The November 10 car bomb blast near Delhi's Red Fort could also flare the ongoing tensions between the two countries. The terror incident that left 15 people dead and several others injured in second major attack in India after the Pahalgam strike earlier this year.

Pak minister's anti-India rhetoric

Asif had made similar remarks earlier this month as he signalled a more aggressive approach and said that his country was prepared to face India. He also blamed New Delhi for the recent border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan and said that his country could be drawn into a two-fron confronation. "I have my doubts that the ceasefire will hold, because the decisions of the [Afghan] Taliban are being sponsored by Delhi. Right now, Kabul is fighting a proxy war for Delhi," he had alleged while speaking to Geo News last month.