Pakistan denies attack on India’s Kashmir, says communication lines open
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The news: India has reported that Pakistan launched a drone and missile attack on military stations around the India-administered Kashmir region late Thursday, but Pakistan has denied the attack.
The context: This was the second day of clashes between the neighbouring countries in an escalation that Reuters described as the worst confrontation in more than two decades.
India said it had “neutralised” the attacks and that there were no casualties.
However, Pakistan’s defence minister, Khawaja Asif told the BBC, “we deny it, we have not mounted anything so far” and that “we will not strike and then deny”.
Pakistan’s ambassador to the US also said on Thursday that the two countries were in contact through their respective national security councils.
Despite calling for de-escalation, US Vice President JD Vance said the US could not control the countries and a war between them would be “none of our business”.
On Wednesday, Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif vowed to retaliate after India fired missiles into Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, striking nine sites, in response to a 22 April militant attack in the resort town of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir.
What they said: “I think there have been contact at the level of NSCs, but then this escalation, both in terms of the actions that have been taken and in terms of rhetoric that is coming out, has to stop," Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh said in an interview with CNN.
"Now the responsibility for de-escalation is on India, but there are constraints on restraint. Pakistan reserves the right to respond back. There is enough pressure from our public opinion on the government to respond," he added.
India’s Ministry of Defence said in an X post: “Military stations at Jammu, Pathankot & Udhampur were targeted by Pakistani-origin drones and missiles along the International Border in J&K today,”
“The threats were swiftly neutralised using kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities in line with established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). No casualties or material losses were reported.
“India remains fully prepared to defend its sovereignty and ensure the safety of its people.”
