While Kashmir has often been called a “nuclear flashpoint”, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said at a news interaction that “we should not contemplate a situation like that” as both Pakistan and India are responsible countries. 

“Kashmir is often termed as a ‘nuclear flash point’. but i believe that, you know, Pakistan is a responsible nuclear weapon state. I assume that India also exhibits that same kind of responsibility, and we should not contemplate, you know, a situation that would move in that direction”, he said on Friday. 

Ahmad called for intensifying international intervention in the tense situation between his country and India saying that there was “imminent threat of kinetic action” by New Delhi.  He lamented that their “impact” on India to de-escalate was not there in an acknowledgement of Islamabad’s failure rally support for its cause. 

Ahmad was asked several times during his news conference here about the nuclear factor in a confrontation between the two neighbours. 

“Pakistan is a responsible member of the international community. [How] we are responding to this situation that has evolved is also reflective of a responsible member state", he said at first.  sked again about the nuclear factor, he said that he “deliberately did not mention” it because both nations “exhibit the same kind of responsibility”. 

No-first-use policy

Pressed on Islamabad’s position on no-first-use of nuclear weapons, he evaded giving a straight answer. “I mean, it is stated policy, I mean Pakistan’s policy on nuclear disarmament and all the related issues are all in the public realm.

It is very well known". 

His reluctance is because Pakistan has not adopted the policy of not being the first to use a nuclear weapon – a public position – that gives it the option to use it first. India, on the other hand, has a declared no-first-use policy. 

A reporter asked Ahmad about the situation on the western border with Afghanistan and the Baluchistan conflict, and how they would affect a possible conflict with India. 

He said, “I don't believe that that's going to have an impact in terms of our readiness and preparedness to counter anything that comes across the Line of Control in Kashmir”. 

“The western borders are under total control”, he said. “There is some counterterrorism and enforcement operation and law enforcement operations that are going on there.”, he said. 

Pakistan and Afghanistan forces have clashed repeatedly along their border, and Islamabad accuses Kabul of harbouring the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, which has carried out cross-border attacks. In addition, Pakistan is facing an insurgency by Balochis seeking independence. 

Ahmad denied that there had been “dogfights” -- aerial combats – which a reporter claimed had taken place. “There were some reports about some podcopters or drones, you know, shot down or something”, but no aerial combat, he said. 

"If the situation deteriorates, and some, you know, some kind of ‘kinetic action’ comes into play, this kind of a situation, a scenario is very much possible”, he said.  

UNSC meeting

He reiterated his country’s claim that withholding Indus waters “will be considered as an 'Act of War'” and said that Islamabad will retaliate and “exercise its inherent and legitimate right to self-defense". 

He said with the continuing escalation of the situation, Pakistan will consider calling for a meeting of the Security Council. 

Efforts by “common friends of both India and Pakistan” should continue to de-escalate the situation, he said.  

“But there is a sense that, you know, the impact that is desirable, especially on the Indian side, to de-escalate is not yet there”, he said.

“So that's why we're saying that there is a need to intensify”, he said.

Tension has been building up in the region following last month's terrorist attack in Pahalgam for which The Resistance Front, a front outfit of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, owned responsibility

A conflict has “the potential for far-reaching and disastrous consequences”, and “that's why I'm emphasising the need for these preventive actions, preventive diplomacy and dialogue to calm down”, Ahmad said. 

UN involvement sought

He said that he has met twice with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Islamabad has invited him to visit the region, “that would mean both India and Pakistan”.  Guterres’ spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that “good officers only work if all the parties involved accepted it”. 

India is opposed to any third-party involvement in the disputes with Pakistan citing the 1972 Simla Agreement between the leaders of the two countries that declared their issues to be bilateral matters to be dealt with between themselves. 

While Guterres has spoken with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, his contact with India has only been at the level of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

Ahmad said that he had also had a range of meetings, including with Security Council President Evangelos Sekeris, General Assembly President Philomen Yang, and representatives of the Security Council members and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. 

He said that “there is reasonable intelligence indicating an imminent threat of kinetic action by India against Pakistan”, but would not explain what the reports were based on. “Pakistan does not seek escalation. This has been made clear by the political leadership and at all levels. At the same time, we are fully prepared to defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity”, he said. 

Ahmad asserted that “Pakistan categorically rejects any attempt to associate it with the 22 April terrorist incident in Pahalgam”, adding, “We are concerned over the loss of lives in the Pahalgam attack”. 

Mumbai attack perpetrators

But when pressed by a reporter about Islamabad’s links to terrorism and Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif's recent admission that his country trained and provided assistance to terrorists as part of the "dirty work" the country did for the US-led West, he did not give a direct reply and instead flung allegations about India. 

When asked about the Mumbai 26/11 attackers who came from Pakistan and the presence of internationally declared terrorists like Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of that attack, and even Osama bi Laden in his country, his response was: “You know this is the kind of discussion I would like to avoid”.