Tensions Soar as Pakistan Vows Retaliation Following Deadly Indian Strikes
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has issued a stern warning to India and authorised the country’s military to carry out “corresponding actions” in self-defence, following a deadly wave of Indian airstrikes early Wednesday that left at least 26 dead and dozens injured.
The announcement came shortly after an emergency meeting of Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC), where Sharif demanded justice for the victims, including a 3-year-old girl, who were killed in the cross-border assault. The strikes reportedly targeted sites across both Pakistan and Pakistani-administered Kashmir, also injuring at least 46 people.
“The Armed Forces of Pakistan have duly been authorised to undertake corresponding actions,” read a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office. “Pakistan reserves the right to respond, in self-defence, at a time, place, and manner of its choosing to avenge the loss of innocent Pakistani lives and the blatant violation of its sovereignty.”
Sharif further declared that the Pakistani nation stands “galvanised and resolute in the face of any further aggression,” signalling a potential escalation in one of the world’s most volatile flashpoints.
India has justified the airstrikes as retaliation for a deadly April 22 massacre in Indian-administered Kashmir, where armed militants gunned down more than two dozen people, most of them tourists. While New Delhi blames Pakistan-backed militants for the attack, Islamabad has categorically denied any involvement.
Diplomatic relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, already strained by years of mistrust and territorial disputes, have deteriorated sharply in the wake of the latest violence. With both sides trading fierce accusations and pledging further action, fears are mounting over a possible slide into broader military conflict.
