Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has condemned India’s recent airstrikes as a dangerous provocation, warning that the attacks could escalate into a full-scale conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

In an exclusive interview with CNN, Asif said India launched the assault “in the dark of night,” targeting civilian areas in both Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. He firmly rejected India’s allegations linking Pakistan to last month’s deadly attack in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, where over two dozen civilians, mostly tourists, were killed.

“India's allegations of the presence of terrorists in Pakistan are completely baseless,” he added. "There are risks of increasing tensions between Pakistan and India."

Khawaja Asif confirmed that Pakistan responded to the airstrikes using its domestically produced JF-17 Thunder aircraft, while India deployed Rafale fighter jets. He claimed Pakistan successfully shot down six Indian aircraft, and that evidence of Indian planes being downed is “already circulating on social media and being reported by Indian media.”

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“Pakistan is fully prepared for war if it is imposed on us,” Asif stated, though he emphasized that Pakistan is making every effort to avoid further escalation. “India wants to inflame the situation, but we are trying to avoid a full-fledged conflict.”

Asif also called for an independent international investigation into the Pahalgam massacre to verify the facts and urged the global community to take note of India’s unprovoked aggression. “We offered India an impartial probe, but instead of cooperating, they chose to bomb civilian areas,” he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Pakistan military's spokesperson, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, strongly asserted the country’s right to self-defence, emphasizing that Pakistan has the legal right to retaliate under international law, including the United Nations Charter.

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In a detailed news briefing, the ISPR director general addressed the nation, condemning Indian aggression along the Line of Control (LoC) and beyond. “Our desire for peace must not be mistaken for weakness,” he said. “The armed forces are fully prepared and authorized to respond to any further provocation.”

The ISPR DG reiterated that every drop of a martyr’s blood will be accounted for, and that Pakistan will never compromise its sovereignty or the safety of its citizens.