Asif said Pakistan was on high alert and that it would only use its arsenal of nuclear weapons if "there is a direct threat to our existence".

In recent years, Pakistan has cultivated many friends over Islamism and shared geopolitical goals. However, none of them is likely to join it wholeheartedly in any conflict with India in the wake of the Pahalgam attack.

China on Monday urged India and Pakistan to “exercise restraint” as the two countries reportedly exchanged fire at the Line of Control (LoC) for a fourth night in a row in the wake of a deadly attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam.