United States Pulled Back India After Pakistan Threat To Hit Back In 3 Cities: Report

Srinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was stopped from attacking Pakistan by the United States and Britain once Pakistan informed them of its clear intention to hit back three times harder if its eastern neighbour violated its territorial integrity, a media report said on Wednesday.

India was also warned by the US that the international powers would not be able to stop the confrontation from progressing into a full-blown nuclear war, The News International reported.

Well-placed sources based in Washington and London told The News that India had “selected to hit at least nine targets inside Pakistan” with missiles and then “finalised” at least two cities as first targets.

“Pakistan’s intelligence agencies got hold of the details in time and informed the highest offices in the government following which Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired a meeting of the National Command Authority late on Wednesday, February 27,” the report said.

Quoting sources the report claimed that the Pakistani meeting discussed the Indian plan in detail and went on to select 12 Indian cities that were to be hit in retaliation to the Indian aggression. “All hits were to be of conventional weapons.” Pakistan decided to hit India three times harder. “If India were to hit Pakistan with one missile, Pakistan would have reciprocated with three – on three different cities inside India.”

Once the meeting firmed up its proposed action in case India went ahead with her plan, Islamabad informed the United States and the United Kingdom of its retaliatory strategy. They were clearly told that 12 Indian cities have been shortlisted for the purpose, the sources said.

“The United States not only conveyed the Pakistani message to India – of hitting them three times harder, they also told them that nobody would be able to stop them [Pakistan]. And that the next stage could be a nuclear war,” the sources said and added that the US warning was the “only thing that forced India to back off from trying what they had planned.”