Pakistan's Ministry of Defence has issued a statement accusing India of preparing military aggression against its country. The ministry said on 24 April 2025 that Islamabad has information about the build-up of Indian armed forces along the Line of Control in the disputed region of Kashmir, which is seen as preparation for possible military action. The statement came amid a sharp deterioration in bilateral relations following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, for which New Delhi blamed Pakistani militants. Pakistani authorities categorically denied involvement in the attack, calling the accusations an attempt by India to justify escalation. Tensions between the two nuclear powers have reached a critical level, causing concern in the international community.

According to the Pakistani Ministry of Defence, India is allegedly moving additional troops and heavy equipment to the border, strengthening its military presence in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. In response, Pakistan has put its armed forces on high alert, closed its airspace to Indian airlines and suspended bilateral trade. The measures follow India’s decision to expel Pakistani nationals from the country within three days and to rip up the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, which Islamabad has deemed a threat to national security. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, calling an emergency meeting of the National Security Committee, stressed that the country is prepared for any scenario, including a military response, Radio Pakistan reported on April 24, 2025.

The Pahalgam attack on 22 April 2025 was the catalyst for the current crisis. The Resistance Front, a group linked to Pakistan’s Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the attack, which killed mostly Indian tourists. As The Times of India reported on 23 April 2025, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held an emergency meeting, after which New Delhi took a series of tough measures, closing the Attari-Wagah border, recalling diplomats, and expelling Pakistani military advisers. India also announced the suspension of the 1972 Simla Agreement, effectively calling into question the legal basis for the current demarcation line in Kashmir. In response, Pakistan mirrored the expulsion of Indian citizens and diplomats and placed its troops on full combat alert, raising the risk of direct military action, according to Al Jazeera on 24 April 2025.

International media and analysts have expressed alarm over the possible consequences. The Guardian noted on April 24, 2025, that a conflict between India and Pakistan, which have possessed nuclear weapons since 1974 and 1998 respectively, could have catastrophic consequences for the region and the world. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the parties to de-escalate immediately, offering mediation, Reuters reported on April 24, 2025. At the same time, the Telegram channel "DEFENSEEXPRESS" on April 24, 2025 quoted the Pakistani Ministry of Defense, which said that rupturing the Indus Waters Treaty was tantamount to an "act of war" since the Indus River provides water to 12 million hectares of Pakistan's agricultural land.