India-Pakistan relations are heading towards extreme tension again after the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. In such a context, a new crisis has emerged in the skies of Kashmir. Islamabad has claimed that the four modern Rafale fighter jets of the Indian Air Force retreated after seeing the counter-preparations of the Pakistan Air Force while patrolling the Kashmir region.

The influential Pakistani media outlet The Dawn reported that the country's state-run broadcaster PTV News made this claim on Wednesday (April 30). According to the report, the Indian Rafale fighter jets were patrolling the skies of Kashmir, although they did not cross the Line of Control (LoC).

PTV also said that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) immediately detected the Indian aircraft and went on high alert. Pakistani security sources said, "Our preparations and actions forced the Indian aircraft to quickly withdraw at one stage."

Just a few hours before this incident, Pakistan's Information Minister Ataullah Tarar had said that they have credible intelligence that India can launch a military attack on Pakistan within the next 24 to 36 hours.

In such a situation, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke directly to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the phone and warned that if India shows an aggressive attitude, Pakistan will use all its might to protect its sovereignty.

Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has taken a step further. He said, "If India attacks our territory, then the path of using nuclear weapons to protect its existence is open to Pakistan."

The retreat of Rafale in the skies of the Kashmir region and the subsequent nuclear threat - these two incidents have given rise to a new war-fear in South Asia. The international community is also keeping a close eye on the situation.