Islamabad, May 7. Regarding the increasing tension between India and Pakistan, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that this tension can end only if India backs down from its aggressive stance.
This statement came when India carried out air strikes at nine places in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) by carrying out “Operation Sindoor”. India says that these attacks were carried out on terrorist hideouts. In response, Pakistan has also claimed retaliation near the Line of Control (LoC).
Speaking to Bloomberg, Khawaja Asif said that Pakistan has full right to its security. He said that Pakistan did not start the attack, but only responded to India’s attack.
He said, “All this has been started by India. If India backs down, we will also end the tension. But as long as we are attacked, we will have to protect ourselves.”
Pakistan’s Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) chief General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhary said that at least 26 people were killed and 46 injured in these air strikes. These attacks took place in those areas of PoK and Punjab province where according to India there were hideouts of terrorists.
In view of this situation, a red alert has been issued in Pakistan. All government hospitals have been asked to be ready, the country’s air borders have been closed for 24 to 36 hours, all schools and colleges in Islamabad and Punjab have been closed and security forces have been alerted.
Common people are scared of these attacks and retaliation. They are worried that this situation may take the form of a big war between the two countries.
India carried out attacks at six different places inside Pakistan. These include Masjid Subhanallah – which is said to be the hideout of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar in Ahmedpur Sharqia area of Bahawalpur city in Pakistan’s southern Punjab province.
Apart from this, attacks were also carried out in Muridke, which is believed to be the headquarters of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed. Other attacks were also carried out in Muzaffarabad, Kotli and Bagh cities.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has called an emergency meeting to discuss the situation. In this, the security situation and further strategy regarding India will be considered.
This meeting will also decide what stand Pakistan will take on the messages of peace and restraint given by other countries including the US, so that the increasing tension between the two nuclear-armed countries can be stopped.
