Islamabad: Amid fears of war with India following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack,  Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that Islamabad will target any Indian infrastructure on the Indus River if New Delhi violates the terms of the Indus Waters Treaty.

“If they [India] attempt to build any kind of structure, we will strike it,” Asif said during a Friday night interview on Pakistan’s Geo News channel.

He termed any construction along the Indus as a form of Indian “aggression” and a potential act of war.

“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.

Reiterating his stance, Asif said: “If they make any architectural attempt, then Pakistan will destroy that structure. But for now, we are heading to forums available to us, starting from the IWT. We will pursue this matter.”

The defence minister’s remarks come amid heightened hostilities between the two nuclear-armed neighbours following the April 22 attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which left 26 civilians, mostly Hindu tourists, dead.

India has blamed Pakistan-based terrorists for the assault and responded with a raft of punitive measures, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty.

Earlier, Asif said that despite efforts by various countries to ease tensions, the likelihood of conflict with India is rising.

“Chances [of conflict] are increasing with the passage of time; they are not decreasing. Though many countries have been trying to avert the situation,” he said.

Modi grants armed forces freedom to retaliate

In the wake of the Pahalgam attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it clear that India’s response will be decisive. During an April 29 meeting with top defence and security officials, Modi gave the armed forces “complete operational freedom” to determine the timing and nature of any response, according to government sources cited by PTI.