The Prague Post - Pakistan warns won't de-escalate as conflict with India spirals

EUR -
AED 4.077266
AFN 77.811182
ALL 98.043689
AMD 430.238721
ANG 1.987461
AOA 1017.375164
ARS 1254.921659
AUD 1.739147
AWG 2.000899
AZN 1.891707
BAM 1.955058
BBD 2.236252
BDT 134.568949
BGN 1.954805
BHD 0.418409
BIF 3295.179612
BMD 1.110069
BND 1.448064
BOB 7.681155
BRL 6.293866
BSD 1.10759
BTN 94.081733
BWP 15.1204
BYN 3.624625
BYR 21757.350044
BZD 2.224756
CAD 1.551216
CDF 3185.897538
CHF 0.937059
CLF 0.027376
CLP 1050.557815
CNY 7.996154
CNH 7.978875
COP 4689.7635
CRC 562.494211
CUC 1.110069
CUP 29.416825
CVE 110.223682
CZK 24.985435
DJF 197.226956
DKK 7.46019
DOP 65.146166
DZD 148.546064
EGP 56.062254
ERN 16.651033
ETB 149.904157
FJD 2.52929
FKP 0.834511
GBP 0.842287
GEL 3.047122
GGP 0.834511
GHS 14.403155
GIP 0.834511
GMD 80.131006
GNF 9595.529683
GTQ 8.521838
GYD 231.817026
HKD 8.649751
HNL 28.695902
HRK 7.533148
HTG 144.921132
HUF 405.075835
IDR 18456.831566
ILS 3.969079
IMP 0.834511
INR 94.121594
IQD 1452.802874
IRR 46900.4102
ISK 146.662194
JEP 0.834511
JMD 176.109525
JOD 0.787373
JPY 164.26189
KES 143.502668
KGS 97.075835
KHR 4446.496036
KMF 480.374501
KPW 999.062144
KRW 1572.690087
KWD 0.341277
KYD 0.92327
KZT 566.784182
LAK 23955.174862
LBP 99259.248038
LKR 331.142513
LRD 221.592788
LSL 20.308207
LTL 3.277745
LVL 0.67147
LYD 6.071638
MAD 10.363574
MDL 19.13026
MGA 4970.980545
MKD 61.580703
MMK 2330.8027
MNT 3967.337619
MOP 8.89301
MRU 43.962389
MUR 50.741251
MVR 17.137912
MWK 1921.319642
MXN 21.795225
MYR 4.816033
MZN 70.855698
NAD 20.309763
NGN 1778.030157
NIO 40.786429
NOK 11.599667
NPR 150.588228
NZD 1.891878
OMR 0.427363
PAB 1.110069
PEN 4.047323
PGK 4.55877
PHP 61.76756
PKR 311.89754
PLN 4.240712
PYG 8852.635056
QAR 4.042795
RON 5.103877
RSD 117.210946
RUB 89.914111
RWF 1586.046777
SAR 4.163496
SBD 9.270018
SCR 15.777974
SDG 666.598315
SEK 10.892629
SGD 1.448379
SHP 0.87234
SLE 25.254355
SLL 23277.605898
SOS 633.20497
SRD 40.183937
STD 22976.184591
SVC 9.694422
SYP 14432.963037
SZL 20.306163
THB 37.094339
TJS 11.544724
TMT 3.885241
TND 3.371327
TOP 2.67278
TRY 43.0826
TTD 7.521061
TWD 33.720561
TZS 2991.635639
UAH 46.026258
UGX 4054.725867
USD 1.110069
UYU 46.365678
UZS 14303.311319
VES 102.920022
VND 28810.50817
VUV 134.322181
WST 3.084353
XAF 655.912023
XAG 0.033843
XAU 0.000344
XCD 2.997187
XDR 0.799447
XOF 655.912023
XPF 119.331742
YER 271.646011
ZAR 20.29494
ZMK 9991.946368
ZMW 29.172314
ZWL 357.441726
  • RBGPF

    2.2700

    65.27

    +3.48%

  • CMSD

    -0.0400

    22.3

    -0.18%

  • SCS

    0.3600

    10.82

    +3.33%

  • CMSC

    0.0200

    22.08

    +0.09%

  • NGG

    -3.1600

    67.53

    -4.68%

  • GSK

    0.7500

    37.37

    +2.01%

  • RELX

    -2.0200

    51.83

    -3.9%

  • RYCEF

    -0.1200

    10.38

    -1.16%

  • AZN

    1.3800

    68.95

    +2%

  • RIO

    1.4300

    61.41

    +2.33%

  • BTI

    -0.6600

    40.98

    -1.61%

  • BCC

    4.4800

    93.1

    +4.81%

  • JRI

    0.0300

    13.01

    +0.23%

  • BCE

    -0.1500

    22.56

    -0.66%

  • VOD

    -0.2300

    9.07

    -2.54%

  • BP

    0.4200

    30.19

    +1.39%

Pakistan warns won't de-escalate as conflict with India spirals
Pakistan warns won't de-escalate as conflict with India spirals / Photo: Tauseef MUSTAFA - AFP

Pakistan warns won't de-escalate as conflict with India spirals

Pakistan has warned it will "not de-escalate" a spiralling conflict with India, and blamed New Delhi for bringing the two nuclear-armed neighbours closer to a full-blown war, with the death toll from days of violence crossing 50.

Text size:

The South Asian countries have exchanged fire since India launched air strikes on Pakistani territory on Wednesday, saying they were targeting "terrorists" after a deadly attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir last month.

On Friday, the third day of tit-for-tat exchanges, the Indian army said it had "repulsed" waves of Pakistani attacks using drones and other munitions overnight, and gave a "befitting reply".

Pakistan's military spokesman denied that Islamabad was carrying out such attacks, and vowed revenge for the initial Indian strikes.

"We will not de-escalate -- with the damages they did on our side, they should take a hit," said Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry.

"So far, we have been protecting ourselves but they will get an answer in our own timing."

The clashes are the worst between the two countries -- which have fought three full-scale wars since gaining independence from the British in 1947 -- for decades.

Civilians have come under fire on both sides, with Islamabad and New Delhi accusing each other of carrying out unprovoked artillery shelling, and missile and drone strikes.

"Our life is worth nothing. At any time entire families could be wiped out," said Naseer Ahmed Khan, 50, whose village lies near the Line of Control (LoC) that divides the disputed Kashmir region between Pakistan and India.

"Our children are not able to sleep and we cannot have a meal in peace."

- 'Reckless conduct' -

Most of the more than 50 deaths were in Pakistan during Wednesday's air strikes by India, and included children.

On Friday, Pakistani security and government officials said five civilians -- including a two-year-old girl -- were killed by Indian shelling overnight in areas along the heavily militarised LoC.

On the other side, a police official said one woman was killed and two men wounded by heavy shelling.

Pakistani military sources said that its forces had shot down 77 Indian drones in the last two days, with debris of many incursions seen by AFP in cities across the country.

An Indian army spokeswoman on Friday spoke of "300 to 400" Pakistani drones being fired, but it was impossible to verify that claim independently.

Pakistan has accused India of fabricating the drone strikes, and early Saturday its military claimed Delhi's forces had bombed their own territory in Amritsar, without providing evidence.

Pakistan's foreign ministry alleged New Delhi's "reckless conduct has brought the two nuclear-armed states closer to a major conflict".

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met top security officials on Friday, including his national security advisor, defence minister and the chiefs of the armed forces, his office said.

The two countries have fought several wars over Muslim-majority Kashmir, which both claim in full but administer separately.

- Disruptions -

Armed groups have stepped up operations in Kashmir since 2019, when Modi's Hindu nationalist government revoked its limited autonomy and took the state under direct rule by New Delhi.

Pakistan has rejected claims by India that it was behind last month's attack in Pahalgam, in Indian-administered Kashmir, when gunmen killed 26 people, mainly male Hindu tourists.

India blamed the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba -- a UN-designated terrorist organisation -- for the attack.

The conflict has caused major disruptions to international aviation, with airlines having to cancel flights or use longer routes that do not overfly the India-Pakistan frontier.

India has closed 24 airports, with local media reporting the suspension would remain in place until next week.

The mega Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament was on Friday suspended for a week, while Pakistan suspended its own T20 franchise competition indefinitely, barely a day after relocating it to the United Arab Emirates over the violence.

- Mediation offers -

World powers have called for both sides to exercise "restraint", with several offering to mediate the dispute.

On Friday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir in Islamabad, according to a statement.

That meeting came after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met his Indian counterpart in Delhi on Thursday, days after visiting Pakistan.

On Friday, Pakistan's military spokesman warned India that further drone or other strikes could lead to "unpredictable" results.

"They should know that the escalation ladder is always unpredictable," he said.

burs-aha/sst

V.Nemec--TPP