By Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam, Ariba Shahid, and Shivam Patel
ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI (WARNEWS) – Pakistan’s defense minister stated on Saturday that there were no plans for a meeting of the high-level military and civilian committee responsible for oversight of the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile. This announcement came after an altercation with Indian forces earlier in the day.
The Pakistani military previously stated that the prime minister had reached out to the authorities for a meeting. The information minister has not yet responded to requests for comment.
The most severe clashes between these nuclear-capable adversaries since 1999 have resulted in numerous casualties on both sides, prompting repeated urges for calming tensions from the United States and the G7 nations.
“This thing that you have spoken about (nuclear option) is present, but let’s not talk about it – we should treat it as a very distant possibility, we shouldn’t even discuss it in the immediate context,” Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told ARY TV.
Before reaching that stage, I believe the temperature will drop. There hasn’t been any gathering of the National Command Authority yet, and none is planned either.
The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir and India’s Foreign Minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, appealing to them to reduce tensions and “resume direct dialogue to prevent misjudgments.”
“India’s approach has consistently been cautious and accountable, and it continues to be so,” Jaishankar stated on X following his conversation with Rubio.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Muhammad Ishaq Dawar, informed local TV networks that should India cease its actions at this point, Pakistan would “consider stopping as well.”
The Indian press reported that Indian and Pakistani authorities held talks over the weekend.
The Indian military stated about Pakistan’s military assaults on Saturday that they were “successfully thwarted and adequately retaliated against.”
“The Pakistan military has been observed to be moving their troops into forward areas, indicating offensive intent to further escalate the situation,” Indian Wing Commander Vyomika Singh told a press conference.
“Indian armed forces remain in a high state of operational readiness. Indian armed forces reiterate their commitment to non-escalation, provided it is reciprocated by the Pakistan military.”
STRIKES, COUNTER STRIKES
Pakistan early on Saturday said it had targeted multiple bases in India including a missile storage site in India’s north, in response to prior attacks by the Indian military.
India stated that there was minimal damage to both equipment and personnel at air force installations located in Udhampur, Pathankot, Adampur, and Bhuj regions. The military reported multiple rapid-fire missile strikes on various airbases in Punjab, indicating that India had retaliated against these assaults.
The police reported that five civilians lost their lives due to the assaults in the Jammu area of Indian Kashmir.
Pakistan stated that prior to their operation, India had launched missiles at three airbases, with one located near the capital, Islamabad. However, Pakistan’s air defenses managed to intercept most of these projectiles.
Experts and envoys have long been concerned that tensions between these bitter adversaries might intensify to the point of involving nuclear arms, making it one of the most perilous and densely inhabited potential nuclear hotspots globally.
Engaged in an ongoing conflict over Kashmir, both nations have been involved in continuous skirmishes beginning Wednesday after India carried out attacks within Pakistan territory, which they referred to as operations against “terrorist infrastructure.” In response, Pakistan declared its intention to counterattack.
Pakistan’s Information Minister stated in an X post that the military operation conducted on Saturday was called “Operation Bunyanun Marsoos.” This term originates from the Quran and signifies a strong, unified framework.
Explosions were heard in India’s Srinagar and Jammu, with sirens going off, according to a WARNEWS witness.
“Through its aircraft, India fired air-to-surface missiles at various locations including the Nur Khan base, Mureed base, and Shorkot base,” stated Pakistan’s military spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry during an overnight television address.
India stated that its attacks on Wednesday, which initiated the recent tensions between the nations, were in response to a fatal assault on Hindu visitors in Indian Kashmir earlier last month.
Pakistan refuted India’s claims that it had a role in the assault on tourists. Following Wednesday, both nations engaged in reciprocal border skirmishes involving artillery fire and missile launches, as well as sending drones over each other’s territory.
(Reporting by Gibran Peshimam, Charlotte Greenfield and Saeed Shah in Islamabad, Ariba Shahid in Karachi, Asif Shahzad in Muzaffarabad, Shivam Patel in New Delhi, Aftab Ahmed in Jammu and Fayaz Bukhari in Srinagar; Writing by Charlotte Greenfield and Gibran Peshimam; Editing by Cynthia Osterman, Jacqueline Wong and Edmund Klamann)
