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India and Pakistan will figure out relations between themselves, US President Donald Trump said on Friday as tensions soared between the two neighbouring countries after an attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Trump, speaking to reporters on Air Force One, cited historical conflict in the disputed border region and said he knew both countries’ leaders, but did not answer when asked whether he would contact them.

“They’ll get it figured out one way or the other,” he said as he travelled aboard his plane. “There’s great tension between Pakistan and India, but there always has been.” He said, “That was a bad one (terrorist attack).

On Friday, Indian stock markets fell on fears of fresh tensions as Indian authorities searched for militants in the region, before markets recovered some losses.

Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said Friday, “the clash between two nuclear powers is always worrisome... If things go wrong, there could be a tragic outcome of this confrontation.”

Drawing the international community’s attention towards the growing tensions between India and Pakistan, he said the world should be “worried” about the potential for a full-scale conflict between the two nuclear-armed nations.

The minister, in an interview with British Sky News, warned that tensions with India over a deadly shooting in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK) could escalate into an “all-out war”.

The warning follows the deadly gun attack in the IIOJK, where 26 tourists were shot dead at a scenic location in the Pahalgam area. The victims included one Nepali national. India’s government has blamed Pakistan for the attack, a claim that Islamabad vehemently denied and also termed it a “false flag operation”.

Asif stressed that Pakistan’s military was “prepared for any eventuality” amid growing diplomatic tensions. “We will measure our response to whatever is initiated by India. It would be a measured response,” he said. “If there is an all-out attack or something like that, then obviously there will be an all-out war.”

However, he expressed hope that the situation could still be resolved through negotiations.

When asked whether the global community should be concerned, the defence minister responded in affirmative. When asked whether he blamed India for the shooting, Asif said: “Yeah, absolutely. They create these situations.” Despite the rising tensions, he added: “We should be solving our problems through negotiations.”

Earlier, Asif said Pakistan had absolutely nothing to do with it, as Pakistan rejects terrorism in all its forms and everywhere. He said India should investigate the Pahalgam incident as merely levelling allegations won’t absolve them of responsibility.

Meanwhile, the Senate unanimously adopted a resolution on Friday and vowed a firm, swift and decisive response to any misadventure by India.

The Senate, which will continue deliberations on the matter on Monday, rejected outright all the Indian frivolous and baseless attempts to link Pakistan with the Pahalgam attack in the IIOJK.

Moved by Leader of the House and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, the resolution condemned India’s unlawful and unilateral declaration to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance in blatant violation of the Treaty and noted that it clearly amounts to an act of war.

Through the resolution, the House warned that Pakistan remains fully capable and prepared to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity against any aggression, including water terrorism or military provocation as clearly demonstrated by its robust and valiant response to India’s reckless actions in February 2019.

The Senate also condemned the orchestrated and mala fide campaign by the Indian government to malign Pakistan, which follows a familiar pattern of exploiting the issue of terrorism for a narrow political goal.

The House asserted that the people of Pakistan remain committed to peace, but will never allow anyone to transgress the country’s sovereignty, security and interests. The resolution demanded that New Delhi should be held accountable for its involvement in different acts of terrorism and targeted assassinations on the soil of other countries, including Pakistan.

The Senate also reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering moral, political and diplomatic support for and commitment to the Kashmiri people’s just struggle for realisation of their inalienable right to self-determination.

Ishaq Dar informed the House that Pakistan’s airspace had been shut for Indian-owned and Indian-operated airlines with immediate effect. Moreover, he added trade with India including to and from any third country, through Pakistan had been suspended with an immediate effect.

He said the two actions were in addition to the reciprocal moves to Indian actions following the Pahalgam incident. He spoke of the decisions taken a day before by the National Security Committee in response to the Indian actions. The Foreign Office, he explained, had briefed the diplomats of 26 countries including P5 about the current situation and that diplomats of other countries would also be briefed.

He reaffirmed that Pakistan’s armed forces are fully prepared to respond to any Indian misadventure, adding Pakistan is a nuclear and missile power and that if India tried to cast an evil eye, it will get a tit-for-tat response.

Dar warned India to refrain from any misadventure and said it would affect the peace and development of the entire region. Earlier, he moved a motion for suspension of the question hour and then another one for tabling the resolution. Leader of the Opposition Senator Shibli Faraz said it was “our duty to pass this resolution; in this situation everyone should come together… the resolution sent a joint message to the enemies”. He said that in the presence of massive 750,000 Indian troops, occurrence of this incident raises a question mark on their capabilities.

“From day one, they have not accepted Pakistan as a reality and have gone to every limit to harm us; be it through terrorist activities inside our country or opposition and undermining Pak interests at global fora,” he noted. PPP parliamentary leader and party Vice President Sherry Rehman called out New Delhi’s dangerous trajectory of misinformation, war mongering and water aggression. “I am sorry, either it is a false flag operation to revoke the Indus Waters Treaty, which they have been wanting, or a spectacular intelligence failure and all this is being done to cover it up,” she contended.

“Let it be clear, we have sent a unified message to India. We unanimously condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. But we will not accept scapegoating, gaslighting, or smear campaigns,” she said, referring to India’s immediate blame on Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam incident without any evidence. Awami National Party (ANP) President Senator Aimal Wali Khan condemned India’s drama and actions and said it will not be allowed to fulfil any of its actions. Modi made a speech in English to those who understand English.

He said the decision to close Wahga border crossing in response to Attari is right. He also demanded a ban on visas for Sikh pilgrims and asked whether India allowed the Muslims to go to Ajmer Sharif.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar received a call from Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan. The two leaders expressed satisfaction at the current status of bilateral relations. They also discussed the regional developments.

Dar briefed Prince Faisal on decisions taken by the Pakistan’s NSC in the wake of unilateral measures announced by India. He rejected India’s baseless allegations and cautioned against further escalatory moves. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to respond firmly to any aggression. Both leaders agreed to continue consultations and coordination on the evolving regional situation.

Also, Ishaq Dar held a telephonic conversation with Iranian FM Seyed Abbas Araghchi. He briefed him on recent developments in Pakistan-India relations and rejected India’s baseless allegations. The DPM cautioned against any further escalatory move by India and appreciated the efforts of Iran to diffuse the situation in the region. He also wished all the success for the Iran-US dialogue to be held in Muscat on Saturday.

Separately, President Asif Ali Zardari said the entire nation stands with the decisions and actions of the National Security Committee (NSC). The enemy should not remain under any illusion, as Pakistan’s defence is invincible.

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi held a meeting with President Zardari and briefed him about the NSC decisions in the context of India’s irresponsible actions after the Pahalgam incident.

Interior Minister Naqvi informed President Zardari about the countermeasures taken by the NSC after India’s irresponsible actions.

The president said all NSC decisions were voice of the nation. He said that the entire nation stands with the decisions and actions of the National Security Committee. He said there was no justification for India’s baseless allegations and illogical actions; the enemy should not be under any misunderstanding, as Pakistan’s defence is invincible.

Meanwhile, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson said on Friday Pakistan would take all appropriate steps to preserve the sanctity and smooth implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty. In the absence of any relevant legal provisions in the Treaty, India is in no position to make a unilateral decision to hold it in abeyance, the spokesperson made it clear.

“The unlawful, unilateral, and irresponsible Indian announcement threatens the very foundations of the entire edifice of interstate cooperation and smooth implementation of the treaties. The statement by the National Security Committee is very unambiguous in terms of explaining Pakistan’s position on this important issue. The Indus Waters Treaty is of critical importance for Pakistan’s water security and economy. Naturally, we will take all appropriate steps to preserve its sanctity and smooth implementation,” said the spokesperson during the weekly media briefing.

Pakistan, he pointed out, is s a responsible country and remains committed to fulfilling its obligations under international law and bilateral agreements. “However, it takes two to tango. India should not create a situation where we are constrained to take extreme steps,” he said, but to a query did not explain what these “extreme steps” could be.

Pakistan says it has a series of options which it will exercise but for now water keeps flowing to Pakistan. “We will see it how it progresses, but all options are on the table for Pakistan. It is our lifeline. It is our right, sanctified by international law, customary law, bilateral treaties. We will do everything to secure this right for our people,” said the spokesperson.

About the Shimla agreement, the spokesperson was asked that most of its sections favour Pakistan, so how do threats of revoking the agreement would help. “Bilateral agreements are for the mutual benefit of two countries. This is not a question of any country doing a favour to another country. We remain committed to all our international obligations. But if one country is utterly disinterested in any kind of relation, civilised discourse or interaction with the neighbouring country, then we also reserve the right to take all necessary actions,” was the response.

“Relations between two countries are based on certain structures and legal agreements including the UN Charter, international law and series of bilateral agreements. If one of the parties is utterly disinterested and if they think that bilateral agreements between the two countries are a favour given to another country, then that is a very unfortunate scenario. And in that case, we will exercise our options as the situation evolves,” he asserted. For now, at least Pakistan is in no hurry to seal the Kartarpur Corridor and Pakistan’s decision to exempt Sikhs from leaving Pakistan was because this would facilitate those pilgrims who are already here.

“India has almost 800,000 security forces deployed in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, who practically have a licence to kill any Kashmiri. So, in these circumstances, it is for them to see why this thing happened and how it did happen,” he added.

In the evening, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on X, said that Tehran was ready to use its good offices for Islamabad and New Delhi.

To a query about the position of Afghan Transit Trade in the backdrop of Wagah and Attari being closed, particularly those trucks which have reached the Afghan border, the spokesperson said that his was a question of technical detail and the Ministry of Commerce would be the right ministry to check with.

When asked specifically to state whether Pakistan-India trade was being conducted presently and how the NSC decision would impact it, the spokesperson avoided a direct response. “About the trade, basically at this point in time, if there was trade or not, it does not matter. There won’t be any trade, further. This is the clear policy directive.

“The point is: it is the principle of diplomatic reciprocity. India perhaps thinks that bilateral trade is a favour given to another country, and then created an atmosphere making trade impossible, so, they have made it impossible to continue trade,” he added. He also admitted that the Foreign Office did not have the exact number of Indians who are presently in Pakistan. In a related dangerous development, troops from Pakistan and India exchanged fire overnight across the Line of Control (LoC) in disputed Kashmir, officials said on Friday, after the United Nations urged the nuclear-armed rivals to show “maximum restraint”.

Syed Ashfaq Gilani, a government official in Azad Kashmir, told AFP on Friday that troops exchanged fire along the LoC that separates the two countries. “There was no firing on the civilian population,” he added.

India’s army confirmed there had been limited firing of small arms that it alleged had been “initiated by Pakistan”, adding it had been “effectively responded to”.

On Friday, Indian troops blew up homes in Kashmir in their search and issued wanted posters with sketches of three men. Also, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said on Friday the First Information Report (FIR) of Pahalgam was lodged within 10 minutes of the incident that completely exposed the false flag operation of India, which was orchestrated the whole episode to defame Pakistan.

Addressing a news conference, the minister pointed out the FIR’s timeline as critical evidence which exposed the mala fide intention of India, which tried to mislead the global community with its treachery and deceit.

“The FIR states that the incident in Anantnag district, Pahalgam Police Station, began at 1:50 PM and ended at 2:20 PM, but ironically the FIR was registered just 10 minutes later at 2:30 PM,” he noted while highlighting the total disregard of procedural formalities in lodging the FIR.

He argued that the FIR showed ignorance of prerequisites such as necessary investigation, crime scene assessments, and legal formalities before registration.

The minister questioned how an FIR for such an incident could be registered within 10 minutes, suggesting, “FIR of this type is typically registered for minor disputes.” Tarar stressed that India had tried to internationalise the incident which had backfired, allowing Pakistan to have an edge in the war of narrative which was imposed upon Islamabad by New Delhi.

The minister remarked that senior Indian journalists were admitting their country’s narrative failure on social media due to its impetuous actions. He attributed this to a panic attack on the Indian side, which is perturbed by Pakistan’s successes against terrorism, leading them to concoct the incident. He said Altaf Lali in Bandipora, and Muhammad Farooq and Muhammad Deen in the Uri sector have been martyred in fake encounters. The minister said people were being abducted from their home and martyred under the guise of a false flag operation.

“India’s nefarious designs have failed miserably while their heinous face has been exposed to the whole world,” he said, drawing parallels to the aftermath of the Pulwama incident when India revoked Kashmir’s special status. He reiterated Pakistan’s military preparedness while emphasizing Pakistan’s stance as a peaceful nation and a front-line state in the war on terror. Tarar said Pakistan possesses irrefutable evidence of Indian state-sponsored terrorism in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Meanwhile, Indian Minister CR Paatil asserted on Friday that New Delhi was working on a strategy to ensure that not a single drop of water flows from India into Pakistan. He said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had issued a slew of directives, and a meeting was held to follow up on them and several suggestions were made at the meeting for their effective implementation, reported Press Trust of India.

“We will ensure that not a single drop of water flows into Pakistan from India,” he said after the meeting.

In the wake of Pahalgam incident, India has launched a series of strong diplomatic and strategic countermeasures against Pakistan.

India immediately suspended the Waters Treaty of 1960.

The integrated check-post at Attari has been closed. Only those with valid permits are allowed to return before May 1.

The Saarc visa exemption for Pakistani nationals has been removed and orders issued for return within 48 hours.

The Border Security Force simplified the retreat ceremony at Attari, Hussainwara, and Sidhiki. The handshake is closed, and the gates will not be opened during the ceremony. Only those with valid permits are allowed to return before May 1.

Meanwhile, Pakistani nationals have started arriving at the Wagah-Attari border crossing near Amritsar after India asked them to leave in the wake of Pahalgam ‘terror attack’.

Indian media reported a rush of Pakistani nationals attempting to return after the announcement, suggesting heightened movement on the Attari side of the border. However, speaking to The News, a border official downplayed the reports of panic, stating that the movement of nationals on both sides was proceeding in a “routine manner”.

The official added that Indian citizens were also returning home from Pakistan without any signs of distress or urgency at the Wagah border. “There is no panic situation here. Pakistanis are coming back and Indians are returning in an orderly fashion,” the official clarified.