Lahore: Pakistan Saturday said it will consider de-escalation if India stops further attacks, as the militaries of the two countries targeted each other’s installations, further escalating tensions.
“Pakistan will consider de-escalation if India stops further attacks. However, if India launches any further strikes, our response will follow,” Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told Geo News after he spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Dar’s statement, echoed by Information Minister Atta Tarar, came as the Indian and Pakistani militaries targeted each other’s installations using missiles over the last more than 12 hours, further escalating the already tense conflict situation.
In the conversation with Dar, Rubio “reiterated that both parties must find ways to de-escalate the current situation and re-establish direct communication to avoid miscalculation,” the State Department said in a statement early Saturday.
Rubio, who also spoke to Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir, “offered US assistance in starting constructive talks in order to avoid future conflicts.”
China also “strongly” urged India and Pakistan to exercise calm and restraint and return to the track of peaceful settlement.
“Pakistan had no choice, so our civil military leadership made the decision following the attack on Nur Khan Air Base. No more patience. We are just giving them a response,” Dar said.
“The action that the Pakistan civil military leadership has taken is proportionate. Many more actions can be taken, and we are ready for that, but this is the minimum action being taken just now, which will be continued for a while,” he said.
“This operation that we started today will all end in some way. It all depends on what India wants,” he reiterated.
Information Minister Tarar told the BBC that de-escalation is in the hands of India. “It is in the hands of India… If India de-escalates (we will follow),” Tarar said when asked if Pakistan will de-escalate.
Tarar added that Pakistani troops are deployed at the borders in response to India’s action.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has met President Asif Ali Zardari and briefed him about India’s “aggression and (the) effective response being given to India by Pakistan form of Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos,” said a statement from the president’s office.
Dar and Law, and Justice Minister Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar were also present during the meeting.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that no meeting of the National Command Authority has been called.
Quoting government officials, local media earlier reported that Prime Minister Shehbaz has summoned the meeting of the body responsible for safeguarding national security through command, control and operational decisions.
“At the moment, the nuclear option is not on the cards. However, if the situation comes up, the ‘watchers’ will be affected as well,” Asif told Geo News.
“I am telling the world that this is not going to be confined to the region only, it could be much wider … this destruction. Our options are being reduced considering the situation India is creating,” he warned.
At around 4 am on Saturday, Pakistan military spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry told a hurriedly called press conference in Islamabad that Nur Khan (Chaklala, Rawalpindi), Murid (Chakwal) and Rafiqui (Shorkot in Jhang district) air bases of Pakistan Air Force were targeted. “But all assets of the Air Force remain safe,” he added.
India fired air-to-surface missiles with its jets, he claimed.
Minutes later, citing security officials, state-run PTV said that Pakistan has launched a retaliatory operation “Bunyan al-Marsous”, meaning “Iron Wall”. They claimed that the Pakistan military used medium-range Fateh-1 missiles in the attack.
Chaudhry claimed that several missiles were intercepted by Pakistan’s air defence system.
The government officials claimed that Sheikh Zayed International Airport in Rahman Yar Kham, some 400kms from Lahore, was also targeted. A purported video showed a facility with some damage. They also alleged that a drone attempted to target Nankana Sahib, a claim debunked by India.
India has maintained that it did not target any civilian infrastructure or facilities.
The Pakistan Airport Authority (PAA) had closed Pakistan’s airspace from 3.15 am to 12 noon for all kinds of air traffic.
Tensions between the two neighbours soared significantly after the Indian armed forces Wednesday conducted precision strikes targeting terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack that had cross-border linkages.
Pakistan launched a fresh wave of drone attacks targeting 26 locations in India — from Jammu and Kashmir to Gujarat — for the second night on Friday, with the defence ministry saying the enemy’s attempts to hit vital installations, including airports and air bases, were successfully thwarted.
On Thursday evening, Indian air defence units intercepted at least eight missiles fired by Pakistan towards the border areas of Jammu, including the strategically important Jammu airport, defence sources had said.
PTI
