India warns Pakistan against escalation as tensions rise

Foreign secretary Vikram Misri said Islamabad will be entirely responsible for consequences

- Staff Writer & PTI

Any further military action by Pakistan will be nothing but escalation and India will respond appropriately, foreign secretary Vikram Misri warned on Thursday, adding that the choice to de-escalate "is with Pakistan".

Misri's grim warning came amid heightened tension and continuing shelling by Pakistan across the line of control in Jammu and Kashmir.

Misri said the original escalation came with the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, and that India was responding in a restrained manner.

"Our approach is not to escalate the situation, we only responded to the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack," he said.

"Any further action by Pakistan, some of which we are seeing today, is nothing but escalation by Pakistan once again, and will be responded to and is being responded to appropriately."

On de-escalation of the situation, Misri said, "Pakistan escalated the situation, we only responded. Choice is with Pakistan."