Exclusive-Pakistan defence minister says military incursion by India is imminent

By Asif Shahzad

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's defence curate said connected Monday that a subject incursion by neighbouring India was imminent successful the aftermath of a deadly militant onslaught connected tourists successful Kashmir past week, arsenic tensions emergence betwixt the 2 nuclear-armed nations.

The militant onslaught killed 26 radical and triggered outrage successful Hindu-majority India, on with calls for enactment against Muslim-majority Pakistan. India accuses Pakistan of backing militancy successful Kashmir, a portion some assertion and person fought 2 wars over.

"We person reinforced our forces due to the fact that it is thing which is imminent now. So successful that concern immoderate strategical decisions person to beryllium taken, truthful those decisions person been taken," Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told Reuters successful an interrogation astatine his bureau successful Islamabad.

Asif said India's rhetoric was ramping up and that Pakistan's subject had briefed the authorities connected the anticipation of an Indian attack. He did not spell into further details connected his reasons for reasoning an incursion was imminent.

After the Kashmir attack, India identified 2 suspected militants arsenic Pakistani. Islamabad has denied immoderate relation and called for a neutral investigation.

Asif said Pakistan was connected precocious alert and that it would lone usage its arsenal of atomic weapons if "there is simply a nonstop menace to our existence".

(Writing by Gibran Peshimam; Editing by Andrew Heavens)