'Will use full spectrum of power': Pak diplomat issues 'nuclear' warning to India

Speaking in an interview with Russian broadcaster RT on Saturday, Jamali said Islamabad has credible intelligence input suggesting that India is planning military strikes on Pakistani territory.

"There are some other leaked documents whereby it has been decided to strike certain areas of Pakistan. So that makes us feel that this is going to happen and it's imminent," he said.

"We in Pakistan will use the full spectrum of power, both conventional and nuclear," he said.

Jamali's warning comes amid heightened tension between India and Pakistan following the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, in which 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists, were killed.

India has accused Pakistan of harbouring and extending support to terror groups that orchestrated the attack. However, Islamabad has denied involvement.

After the gruesome attack, New Delhi has since rolled out a series of stringent measures, including suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, halting bilateral trade, cancelling visas, blocking Pakistani aircraft from Indian airspace, and imposing export restrictions.

Following a top-level security review, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the Indian Armed Forces full operational freedom to act in response to the killings.

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 told RT.

The warning follows Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif's remark on Friday during an interview with Geo News, where he said that Islamabad would target any infrastructure India builds on the Indus River as a violation of the treaty.

"Certainly, if they attempt to build any kind of structure, we will strike it. 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 said.

Amid talks of nuclear action, Pakistan's military conducted a test launch of the Abdali surface-to-surface missile on Saturday. The weapon has a range of 450 kilometres and is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear payloads.

According to a statement from the Pakistani army, the launch was intended to ensure "operational readiness".