Islamabad accused India of preparing a new "attack" against Pakistan in a statement that New Delhi called "irresponsible", reflecting a tense atmosphere between the neighbors, who entered in February in their first air clash in decades.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said in a press statement in Multan that the attack could take place between April 16 and 20 and that Pakistan had expressed its concerns to the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.
"I say this responsibly ... I know that every word I say will be the first headlines of the world press," he said, referring to the credibility of his information delivered two days ago to the ambassadors of the permanent members of the Security Council, accredited in Islamabad.
The minister said India's plan was to "increase diplomatic pressure on Pakistan."
"India rejects the irresponsible and ridiculous statements by the Pakistani foreign minister aimed at fueling the hysteria raised by the issue of war in the region," Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ravish Kumar responded to Pakistani accusations.
"These statements look like an appeal to the terrorists in Pakistan to launch a terrorist attack on India," he said.
The two nuclear powers entered a new crisis after a deadly attack on February 14 in Indian Kashmir, adopted by Pakistan-based Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad, killing more than 40 Indian soldiers. Islamabad has denied any involvement in the attack.
In response, on February 26, the Indian Air Force bombed a town in northern Pakistan where an organization camp was located. The following day, Islamabad confirmed that it had shot down two Indian planes. Tensions did not diminish until Pakistan released on March 1 an Indian pilot in custody.
In a sign of easing tension, Islamabad said on Friday it would release 360 Indian prisoners this month. The first 100 were released Sunday.
Because of strained relations between the two countries, prisoners who have completed their sentences, many of them fishermen convicted of infiltrating into the waters of the other state, often remain in prison for months or years after the end of the sentence.