Amid heightened tensions with India, Pakistan’s ambassador to Russia Muhammad Khalid Jamali on Saturday warned that Islamabad will respond with its “full spectrum of power,” including both “conventional and nuclear,” in case of an attack by India or if Pakistan’s water supply is disrupted by New Delhi.
In an interview with Russian broadcaster RT, Jamali claimed that Islamabad has credible intelligence that India is planning military strikes in certain regions of Pakistan. “There are some other leaked documents whereby it has been decided to strike certain areas of Pakistan,” Jamali said.
“So that makes us feel that this is going to happen and it’s imminent…Knowing Pakistani national and the armed forces of Pakistan, supported by people of Pakistan, we are going to respond this time and respond with full spectrum of power,” he added.
The comments by Pakistan’s top diplomat in Moscow are one of the most explicit nuclear retaliation threats made by Pakistan against India in recent years. “We in Pakistan will use the full spectrum of power, both conventional and nuclear,” Jamali said.
❗️NUCLEAR warning from Pakistan to India
Diplomat says Islamabad could use NUKES in case of war with New Delhi
‘Pakistan will use full spectrum of power, BOTH conventional and nuclear’ — ambassador to Russia tells RT https://t.co/iTQWdWRQlZ pic.twitter.com/LcQXKbIjD0
— RT (@RT_com) May 3, 2025
Jamali’s warning come after tensions escalated between India and Pakistan following the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists.
India, after finding cross-border linkages, accused Pakistan of harbouring and extending support to terror groups who orchestrated the Pahalgam attack. However, Islamabad has denied involvement and rejected the allegations.
In response to the deadly attack, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) as part of its retaliatory measures against Pakistan. The treaty is a 1960 agreement brokered by the World Bank governing the distribution of the Indus River and its tributaries between India and Pakistan. Jamali termed India’s suspension of the treaty as an “act of war”.
“Any attempt to usurp the water of the lower riparian, or to stop it, or to divert it would be an act of war against Pakistan and would be responded to with full force of power, including full spectrum of power,” he said.
Jamali’s warning comes a day after Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif declared that Islamabad would target any infrastructure India builds on the Indus River in violation of the treaty. He made these remarks on Friday during an interview with Geo News.
“Certainly, if they attempt to build any kind of structure, we will strike it,” Asif said. “Aggression is not just about firing cannons or bullets; it has many faces. One of those faces is [blocking or diverting water], which could lead to deaths due to hunger and thirst,” he added.
Meanwhile, India on Saturday imposed a ban on imports of goods originating in or transiting through Pakistan. It also banned Pakistani ships from visiting any Indian ports and also instructed Indian carriers not to call at Pakistani ports. Pakistan, too, reciprocated within hours, announcing restrictions on Indian vessels.
