g DEPUTY PM REJECTS DELHI ’S CLAIMS OF PAKISTANI MILITARY STRUCK 15 LOCATIONS IN INDIA g PAKISTANI NATION IS UNITED IN FAITH AND RESOLUTE IN DEFENCE OF MOTHERLAND: LT-GEN CHAUDHRY
g ACCUSES INDIA OF TARGETING ITS OWN CITIZENS, PARTICULARLY SIKHS, TO CRAFT A DIVERSIONARY NARRATIVE FOLLOWING REPEATED MILITARY FAILURES
g DEFENCE MINISTER WARNS A SERIES OF DRONE INCURSIONS BY INDIA MAKE A PAKISTANI RESPONSE TO INDIA ‘INCREA SINGLY CERTAIN’
Tr ump offers to help reduce Pakistan-India tension
Pakistan’s armed forces shot down as many as 29 Israeli-made Harop drones flown by India over multiple cities of the country the military said on Thursday
Updating the media on the situation, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that the drones were neutralised in Lahore Gujranwala Rawalpindi Chakwal Bahawalpur Mianwali Karachi Chor Miano and Attock He pointed out that one of the UAV partially struck a military target near Lahore which caused a minimal damage to equipment
“Four Pakistan Army personnel were injured in a drone attack in La-
hore, while one civilian was martyred in Miano, Sindh, the military spokesperson said, terming the attempts as a continued pattern of aggression and reaffirming that Pakistan’s forces remain on high alert to defend the country s airspace and territorial integrity The remotely-piloted aircraft were neutralised using both electronic countermeasures (soft-kill techniques) and conventional weaponry (hard-kill systems) after they were detected over several cities across Pakistan the military s media wing said in a statement Lt-Gen Chaudhry described the drone incursions as a desperate and panicked response” by India after Pakistan’s armed forces shot down its five jets – including three prized Rafale aircraft
US President Donald Trump has expressed his hope that India and Pakistan will cease their escalating conflict and work toward peace after a series of missile strikes and artillery exchanges between the two nations Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House offered his assistance to both sides emphasizing his willingness to help mediate the situation It s so terrible Trump said acknowledging the tense standoff between the two countries I get along with both, I know both very well, and I want to see them work it out I want to see them stop They’ve gone tit-for-tat so hopefully they can stop now Trump s comments came amidst
heavy fighting between India and Pakistan, particularly along their contested frontier India had launched missile strikes that led to at least 43 deaths, exacerbating already high tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations The strikes were reportedly in retaliation for an attack on Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, which New Delhi blames on Pakistan a claim Islamabad denies The US president reiterated his strong relationships with both nations pointing out that he has good connections with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom he hosted at the White House earlier this year Trump’s administration had previously been more focused on building ties with India but the recent escalation has prompted immediate diplomatic action
WASHINGTON
A G E N C I E S US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce has said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has urged de-escalation and expressed support for direct dialogue in separate calls with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, according to agencies reports on Thursday “Rubio in both phone calls emphasised the need for immediate deescalation Bruce said in readouts of the calls He expressed US support for direct dialogue between India and Pakistan and encouraged continued efforts to improve communications,” Bruce said
Showing the delicate balancing act of Rubio s diplomacy the two State Department spokespersons readouts sent out within a minute of each other also included tailored messages for each side
He expressed sorrow to PM Shehbaz for the loss of civilian lives in the
said that Pakistan Armed Forces have so far shot down 29 Israeli-manufactured Harop drones using both soft-kill (technical) and hard-kill (weapons-based) systems, following a series of provocative attacks by
“At least 29 drones sent over by India have been neutralised by Pakistan the DG ISPR told a press briefing on Thursday Only one managed to partially engage its target, some equipment was damaged, and four soldiers were injured,” he said “However since the enemy doesn’t distinguish between military or civilians [ ] three people were martyred while four were
current conflict To Jaishankar, Rubio reaffirmed his commitment to work with India in the fight against terrorism, Bruce said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received a telephone call from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday according to a press release from the prime minister s office It said PM Shehbaz reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity and stressed that Pakistan reserved the right to act in selfdefence under Article 51 of the UN Charter the statement read He also appreciated President Trump s concern over the current security situation in South Asia
According to the statement, the PM conveyed Pakistan’s strong condemnation of India s missile and drone strikes which had led to the loss of 31 lives and injured 57 others alongside damaging civilian infrastructure India s attacks had violated Pakistan s sovereignty and territorial integrity, while gravely jeopardising peace and stability in the South Asia region ” the
injured,” he said The DG ISPR said that one Indian drone tried to target the holy place of the Sikh community at Nankana Sahib calling the act abhorrent and unacceptable
We saw it today, they directed one drone to Nankana Sahib,
conflict
PM was quoted as saying According to the statement, Secretary Rubio noted that the United States was closely following the situation in the re-
gion as it was committed to promoting peace and stability” He emphasised the need for both Pakistan and India to work closely to
Govt, KCCI form joint committees to address K arachi ’s industrial woes
In a bid to resolve longstanding challenges faced by Karachi s industrial sector the federal government has agreed to form joint committees in collaboration with the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), following directives from Prime Minister Shehbaz
against all threats and will
sovereignty, he said Meanwhile, security sources have rejected as “baseless and fabricated” the Indian reports of an attack on Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) by Pakistani forces They added
and
urges India-Pakistan to exercise restraint
decades- threatened dismantling fragile trust by dragging South Asia into one of its most alarming standoffs, with tensions carrying rippling effect from the Himalayas down to the high seas Almost immediately the confrontation seeped into the maritime domain as New Delhi sent its flagship INS Vikrant into the Arabian sea on 23 Apr 25 Notably, the Indian ship openly sailed towards Pakistan s maritime approaches that sparked concerns Adding up to the tension, India staged missile-firing exercises issuing navigation warnings that signaled power projection In response Pakistan reinforced its naval patrols and maintained a continuous presence in the North Arabian Sea Shortly thereafter, multiple Pakistani news outlets reported Indian ship- after only a few days at sea- was shortly recalled to port Karwar which was further confirmed by certain satellite imagery as well While the Government didn t officially confirm the incident, analysts note that credible Pakistani patrols likely deterred the aircraft carrier ’s prolonged deployment During the course of time,
both fleets were on high alert after the Pahalgam incident, sparking jitters in global shipping communities dependent on these waters Far from ramping up aggression Pakistan s Navy played a vigilant and persistent role at sea, enforcing a strategic balance to prevent escalation As one report suggests that, an aircraft carrier “is not deployed in the open sea for just a few days” unless contested; the very presence of Pakistani warships with anti-access capabilities active was credited with convincing India to retract Vikrant Pakistan Navy deployed patrols helped enforce a tacit status quo: neither navy wanted any disruption in crucial sea lanes nor an uncontrolled escalation that could draw both nations in nuclear arsenals Consequently Pak Navy emerged as a guard of its nation s shores for wider stability
The recent escalation in diplomatic tensions between Pakistan and India, marked by reciprocal measures such as Pakistan's ban on Indian flag carriers and the suspension of imports from Pakistan by India highlights the fragile nature of their bilateral relations These actions are likely to have significant economic repercussions, disrupting established trade routes and increasing costs in the supply chain The suspension of mail exchanges and heightened military readiness further exacerbate security concerns as both nations prepare for potential conflict deepening regional instability However amid these tensions, there is a glimmer of hope in the form of diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the situation
Crucially Pakistan’s naval posture blended deterrence with diplomacy and cooperation has long framed the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) as a shared space for collective security Pakistan Navy Chief
of the Naval Staff, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, has time and again mentioned that “ocean should not be an arena of competition but a common avenue for cooperation This attribute was more reflected in the AMAN 2025 exercise and the conference series hosted by Pakistan where around sixty nations practiced joint maneuvers, search-and-rescue operations and deliverance of humanitarian aid Such multinational drills streamlined mutual trust and enhanced interoperability
A potent gesture of naval confidence building - even nations at odds can find common grounds for cooperation at sea For instance, in December 2024, Indian and Pakistani coast guards worked together to rescue 12 crewmen from a sinking merchant ship in the Arabian Sea This exemplifies that in the midst of maritime turbulence each side put aside politics to save lives under internationally agreed maritime norms In this manner, Pakistan projects itself as a constructive maritime stakeholder amid bilateral friction by abiding by UNCLOS convention Not to ignore the significance of IOR and Arabian Sea as carrying vital arteries of global trade, energy and fisheries any kind of conflicting situation would subsequently choke or disrupt supply chains worldwide On this front, Pakistan through its navy and coast guard participates in international patrols (including U N -mandated counterterror and anti-piracy operations) and works with neighbours on safeguarding commerce In recent talks, Pakistani officials repeatedly have emphasized that no country alone can secure the seasthat means such statements deliberately convey the message of collectivity: climate change piracy smuggling and terrorism know no borders, and these
asked India for evidence linking Pakistan to the Kashmir attack and repeated
k s d e
t i t s e
r e p e a t
e s c a l a t i o n through dialogue and international cooperation not conflict Undeniably the Pahalgam tragedy revealed the fragility of South Asian peace as its shock-waves rapidly crossed land and sea, informing the world that how a local atrocity can threaten a broader confrontation At such pivotal moments the conduct of Pakistan Navy offers a model of stability through balance The navy has styled itself a diplomatic actor: engaging in joint exercises, humanitarian missions, and public calls for collaboration By safeguarding sea lanes and adhering to maritime law, Pakistan’s naval forces contribute to regional confidence-building Indeed South Asia s stability matters deeply for the wider world The IOR not only connects three continents but also hosts a quarter of global trade and any conflict would jeopardize economic growth well beyond the subcontinent In this regard Pakistan Navy’s ability of crisis management in tandem with Islamabad s diplomatic engagement plays a role in averting the escalation of conflict
SYEDA FIZZAH SHUJA
Minister for
port, and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon said that India blamed Pakistan for the Pahalgam incident without carrying out even a single investigation or producing evidence He added that India also rejected Pakistan s offer for an impartial inquiry which clearly indicates that India had already planned to carry out aggression based on premeditated accusations
He stated that Pakistan acted responsibly and decisively in selfdefense successfully shooting down Indian Air Force aircraft and killing three pilots This operation marked an unprecedented achieve-
ment against the enemy’s advanced technology and is being widely acknowledged around the world He added that in retaliatory actions Pakistan targeted key military installations across the Line of Control, resulting in the deaths of 40 to 50 Indian soldiers Sharjeel Inam Memon stated that India has a history of concealing its failures citing the example of awarding the Vir Chakra to Abhinandan, the pilot of a downed aircraft
He said that on the night of May 7 and 8, India escalated tensions by targeting three types of objectives First attacks were carried out against the Sikh community and their religious sites within India to instill fear among Sikhs Second, these attacks were falsely attributed to Pakistan in an attempt to spread hatred Third, India aimed to create a false impression of victory by presenting the wreckage from these attacks as evidence of downed Pakistani aircraft
He added that the second target was Pakistan s defense installations, aimed at weakening the country’s defensive and offensive capabilities The third target was the civilian population intended to spread fear and despair among the Pakistani people
