Pakistan claims 'credible intelligence' India plans to launch strike within 36 hours

Attaullah Tarar's comments come after gunmen in Kashmir killed 26 people, most of them Indian tourists, near the resort town of Pahalgam in the disputed region, with Pakistan denying any connection to the attack.

India intends to use the attack as a "false pretext" for a strike and that "any such military adventurism by India would be responded to assuredly and decisively", the minister claimed.

Pakistan also expects an imminent military incursion from India in response.

It comes after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave his military "operational freedom" to respond to a deadly attack.

India and Pakistan each claim control of Kashmir and the nuclear-armed powers have been to war three times over the region since independence in 1947.

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Last week's attack was the deadliest on civilians in two decades in the disputed region. Tensions have remained at boiling point since the incident.

On Friday, Indian army officials claimed Pakistani soldiers had fired on an Indian position the previous night.

New Delhi has closed the only functional border crossing in Kashmir and revoked visas issued to Pakistani nationals, while Islamabad has cancelled visas issued to Indians and closed its airspace to Indian planes.

India has also suspended a water-sharing treaty with Pakistan, prompting Islamabad to warn that any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water would be regarded as an “act of war”.

New Delhi has also dismissed Pakistan’s call for an independent investigation as an attempt to avoid taking responsibility.

A Downing Street spokesperson said Sir Keir had spoken to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday morning, saying he was “horrified by the devastating terrorist attack in Jammu in Kashmir on Tuesday”.

They added: “He expressed his deep condolences on behalf of the British people to all those affected, their loved ones and the people of India.”

In the House of Commons, Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer said Britain is “playing our role” to ensure tensions do not escalate between India and Pakistan following the “horrific terrorist attack” in Kashmir.

“We are playing our role to ensure the tensions do not escalate. Many of us in this House are familiar with the tense and storied history between the two countries, we are friends to them both and we do not want to see uncontrolled escalation in tensions,” he said.

The United Nations has urged both sides “to exercise maximum restraint” and ensure the situation does not “deteriorate any further”.