Credit: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

India, Pakistan intensify strikes amid de-escalation calls

The United States has called for the nuclear-armed neighbours to start negotiations and calm their rising confrontation, which is the most intense since 1999 after Pakistan and India launched strikes and counter-strikes against each other’s military sites on Saturday. When Pakistan’s military said that a high military and civilian body in charge of its nuclear weapons would meet, fears that the nation’s nuclear arsenals would be used increased. However, the defence minister later stated that no such meeting was planned.

After the day’s interactions, officials from both sides indicated that they were prepared to pull aside for the time being. Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s foreign minister, stated on local television that “we will consider to stop here” if India stops here. The Indian military declared that “all hostile actions have been effectively countered and responded to appropriately” in response to Pakistan’s military assaults on Saturday.

In one of the most hazardous and densely inhabited nuclear flashpoint zones on earth, analysts and diplomats have long warned that rivalry between the adversaries may turn into a nuclear exchange. Pakistan does not adhere to the no-first-use principle like India does. “Very distant possibility” is how Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif described any urgent nuclear danger.

According to him,

“We shouldn’t even discuss it in the immediate context,”

ARY TV said.

“I believe the temperature will drop before we reach that threshold. The National Command Authority has not had a meeting and has no plans to do so. 

During a Saturday phone discussion, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged India’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir to “re-establish direct communication to avoid miscalculation” and de-escalate the situation. “India’s approach has always been measured and responsible and remains so,” Jaishankar stated.

At a news briefing, Indian Wing Commander Vyomika Singh stated that while India was reacting to actions taken by Pakistani forces, it would exercise caution if Pakistan followed. “The Pakistan military has been observed to be moving their troops into forward areas, indicating offensive intent to further escalate the situation,” she stated. “The Indian military is still quite operationally prepared. The Indian military reaffirms its commitment to non-escalation as long as the Pakistani military does the same.

Families living close to the border have relocated to safer locations as tensions remain high, and citizens of Pakistan and India have hurried to stockpile food and other necessities. About 650 kilometres from the border, in New Delhi, Indian officials have placed sirens in towering buildings. Pakistan said early on Saturday that it has retaliated against previous Indian military operations by attacking several Indian locations, including a missile storage facility in the country’s north.

India said that troops and equipment at four air force installations suffered minor damage. The military reported many high-velocity missile assaults on Punjab state’s air bases, said

According to regional authorities, the attacks in Indian Kashmir’s Jammu area claimed the lives of five people. Both Islamic Pakistan and Hindu-majority India fully claim Kashmir but only partially govern it. Up until early Saturday morning, blasts continued to reverberate throughout Indian Kashmir and the Sikh holy city of Amritsar in neighbouring Punjab. After hearing loud explosions and seeing missiles soar over the city sky, Jammu’s streets were deserted for hours.

The two nations, which are embroiled in a protracted conflict over Kashmir, have been fighting every day since India attacked “terrorist infrastructure” inside Pakistan on Wednesday. Pakistan promised to strike back. “Operation Bunyanun Marsoos” is the name given to Saturday’s military action, according to Pakistan’s information minister. The word, which comes from the Quran, refers to a solid, cohesive construction.

A murderous attack on Hindu tourists in Indian Kashmir last month prompted India to launch strikes on Wednesday, which sparked the most recent round of confrontations that have killed over 50 people in both nations. India accused Pakistan of taking part in the tourist attack, while Pakistan refuted the allegations. The two nations have been exchanging cross-border shelling and fire since Wednesday, as well as launching drones and missiles into one another’s airspace.

The reverse appears to be taking place, according to defence experts, despite increased pleas for peace in the West. According to defence experts, operations are moving to the next level – free use of missiles and drones by both sides. Additionally, there are claims that the Pakistan Army is advancing soldiers. These are not encouraging signs for the future!

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