Islamabad: The Federal Minister for Railways of Pakistan, Hanif Abbasi, warned India by asserting that his country controls 130 nuclear warheads and operates missile systems (Ghori, Shaheen, and Ghaznavi) that focus exclusively on Indian targets. During a Rawalpindi press conference on April 26, 2025, Federal Minister Hanif Abbasi issued this warning as India had suspended the Indus Waters Treaty after the Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, terrorist attack, which killed 26 civilians on April 22.
The suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty by India in 1960 created chaos in Pakistan since 80% of the nation’s farmland uses water from Indus basin rivers. The April 23 treaty suspension marked one element of India’s comprehensive response to Pakistani terrorism support, which also ordered border closure and diplomatic personnel and visa removals at Attari-Wagah. Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeared before the nation to promise vigorous pursuit of attackers that he would hold accountable to demonstrate India’s firm opposition to terrorism.
The volatile condition of India-Pakistan diplomatic relations grew worse after Abbasi made his statements. Such moves by India to cut our water supply would mean Pakistan has to start a full-fledged war. He asserted that the purpose of Pakistan’s 130 nuclear warheads and missiles is to strike India, not for display. Through a strategic partnership, Pakistan Railways has made all logistical assets, such as soldier desks at stations, accessible to the armed forces to enable speedy tank and heavy weapon transport.
Recent reports suggest that The Resistance Front performed the Pahalgam attack, which has triggered strong public frustration across India because the terrorists specifically targeted Hindu tourists. The Indian forces alarmed Pakistan more by testing missiles from INS Surat in the Arabian Sea. Observers note that Pakistani official Abbasi ridiculed the Indian aviation industry by declaring that the ban on Indian flights across its airspace will bankrupt all airlines in just a few days.
The leadership of Pakistan deals with multiple challenges from domestic and international sources. Numerous top Pakistani officials, including the Bhutto Zardari family of PPP Chairman Bilawal and Army Chief General Asim Munir, have settled in Canada, Britain and the United States because their elite members show serious concern about the situation. Bhutto’s sisters Bakhtawar and Asifa travelled to Canada on April 27 following his statement, which threatened a flood of rivers would start if India cut off Pakistani water supplies.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif fuelled additional controversy by asserting that no such organisation exists as Lashkar-e-Taiba while blaming India for orchestrating the Pahalgam incident to destabilise Pakistan. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif requires a non-biased investigation and declared any attempt to redirect Indus River water would become a war declaration. The National Security Committee under Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership conducted a meeting on April 24 to decide Pakistan’s response against Indian military actions, indicating a potential escalation.
The world is calling for peaceful measures between the countries since China seeks unbiased investigations and the United Nations demands both nations stay out of conflict. The dual actions of nuclear threats by Abbasi alongside Pakistani military preparedness are driving international concerns toward expanded warfare. According to analysts from India, the nuclear threats from Pakistan represent desperate attempts, as the country possesses an inventory of 120–170 warheads, which are outweighed by India’s 172 based on a 2024 SIPRI report’s findings.
Increasing tensions in Pakistan have created new security threats from rebellions that occur in both Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as economic problems caused by India’s withdrawal of trade. Because India lacks the ability to redirect western rivers, the Indus Waters Treaty suspension represents merely a symbolic threat to the core of Pakistan’s agricultural system. Both countries currently maintain a state of preparedness since the situation in this region remains tense.