After India began a counter-offensive against Pakistan following the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan's Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar referred to the attackers as “freedom fighters.” While Pakistan condemned the recent attack and rejected allegations of sheltering terrorist groups, Dar, speaking to reporters in Islamabad, said, "Those who carried out attacks in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam district on April 22 might be freedom fighters."

His comments came a day after India took a major diplomatic step by putting the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty on hold as part of its response to the terror attack. The decision was made during a Cabinet Committee on Security meeting led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday evening. In addition, India cancelled all visas granted to Pakistani citizens, including those who had come for medical treatment. Reacting to India's strong move regarding the treaty, Ishaq Dar said it was equivalent to an “act of war,” as reported by News18. 

“240 million people in Pakistan need water. You cannot stop it. It is tantamount to an act of war. Any suspension or encroachment won’t be accepted," he stated. Dar also warned that if India threatens or attacks Pakistan, the country would respond in kind. "If Pakistan is attacked directly, a tit-for-tat reply will be given," he stated. Upping the ante, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif alleged that India is preparing to launch attacks inside Pakistan. He said, "We will make them pay through their noses. If our citizens are harmed by India, Indian citizens will not remain safe either. It will be tit-for-tat," as reported by India Today.

Terrorists carried out a brutal attack at the popular tourist spot of Baisaran meadows near Pahalgam, killing 26 civilians, most of whom were tourists. This has been the deadliest attack in the Kashmir Valley since the 2019 Pulwama incident. The Resistance Front (TRF), linked to the banned group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has claimed responsibility for the killings.