Diplomatic ties between India and Pakistan deteriorated this week following a deadly attack in the Pahalgam region of Kashmir. At least 26 people were killed and several others left injured earlier this week as terrorists opened fire in the popular tourist hub. Both countries have since downgraded bilateral ties and announces a series of punitive measures — including the cancellation of visas and suspension of treaties.

India has indicated that military action remains on the table as top officials promised a “strong response” to the attack. Pakistan however accused its neighbour of ‘reckless and irresponsible behaviour’ and insisted any attempt to stop or divert the flow of Indus water would be considered an ‘act of war’. The situation took a turn for the worse on Friday morning after Pakistan Army troops opened fire at multiple locations along the Line of Control — hours after suspending the Simla Agreement. Both India and Pakistan also held missile tests on Thursday.

“We will measure our response to whatever is initiated by India. It would be a measured response. If there is an all-out attack or something like that, then obviously there will be an all-out war…The clash between two nuclear powers is always worrisome. If things get wrong, there could be a tragic outcome of this confrontation,” Pakistan Defence minister Khawaja Asif told Sky News.

India vs Pakistan – How do the two countries compare in military might?

Both India and Pakistan are nuclear-armed nations that can inflict heavy damage in case of an all-out war. There are however some key differences in their military strength — with Islamabad trailing far behind its neighbour on several key criterion. India ranks fourth on the Global Firepower Index 2025 with more than 14.5 lakh active duty soldiers and advanced weaponry at its disposal. Meanwhile Pakistan is ranked 12th on the same list with around 6.54 lakh active personnel. India also has 11.55 lakh reservationists and more than 2.5 million paramilitary troops.

DEFENCE BUDGET: India allocated a record Rs 6.81 lakh crore for the defence budget in FY26 — including a 12% in the defence R&D budget. According to report by the Daily Qudrat, Pakistan had recently proposed an estimated Rs 2,281 billion (which converts to INR 691.9 billion) for the defence budget in the upcoming fiscal year.

The Indian military far outshines its Pakistani counterpart on several parameters — be it on land, air or water. New Delhi maintains 4201 tanks (including the advanced T-90 Bhishma and Arjun models) as wlll as nearly 149,000 armoured vehicles. In contrast Pakistan operates 2627 tanks and has around 17,500 armoured vehicles. Islamabad however enjoys a slight edge when it comes to self-propelled artillery systems such as rocket projectors.