Brink of Disaster: Pakistan Promises Retaliation for Indian Strikes!

Global observers voiced concerns on Wednesday about the potential escalation between the nuclear-equipped neighbors following Pakistan’s response to Indian airstrikes that reportedly claimed the lives of over 30 civilians, including children. This was in retaliation for the recent Pahalgam massacre in the region controlled by India in Kashmir.

The Pakistani publication Dawn detailed that India targeted six locations in Punjab’s Sialkot and Bahawalpur, along with Azad Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday night, under Operation Sindoor. This was a counteraction to the April 22 militant assault on a tourist hub in Pahalgam, which resulted in 26 fatalities. India accused Pakistan of backing “cross-border terrorism” following a claim of responsibility by a proxy group of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba militant organization.

Islamabad officials reported that this week’s Indian airstrikes killed 31 civilians, including several children. In a countermove, Pakistan executed artillery barrages across the so-called Line of Control at the border with India, which reportedly led to at least 15 civilian deaths. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a national broadcast, described these attacks as a “response” to India’s earlier airstrikes.

“When elephants fight, it’s the grass that gets trampled.”

Pakistani military forces also downed five Indian fighter jets and struck multiple Indian military posts, as confirmed by Pakistani military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry.

On Wednesday, Sharif announced that his administration proposed cooperating with India to investigate the Pahalgam incident.

“Rather than accepting our offer, they launched missiles into our territory, presuming we would not retaliate,” he remarked about India, swearing retribution for “every drop of blood.” Sharif further declared that India “must face the consequences” for its “cowardly” assaults.

Kashmiri journalist and celebrated author Mirza Waheed spoke to Democracy Now! on Wednesday, calling the situation “a dangerous escalation.”

Inquiring about the increasingly Hindu nationalist governance under Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Waheed observed that it represents a “different regime” from past administrations in New Delhi, one more prone to armed interventions.

Highlighting that civilians often suffer the most from Indo-Pakistani border skirmishes, Waheed reiterated, “When elephants fight, it’s the grass that gets trampled.”

Foreign Policy South Asia analyst Michael Kugelman noted on social media that “India’s strike on Pakistan is of much greater magnitude than the one in 2019.”

“Pakistan’s counteraction, reportedly including the shooting down of several Indian jets, also surpasses the intensity of the 2019 conflict,” he added. “They’re already higher up the escalatory ladder than at any point during the ’19 crisis.”

Reflecting Wednesday’s caution from a Nobel Peace Prize-winning nonproliferation organization, British Green Party MP Ellie Chowns expressed: “I am deeply troubled by the overnight strikes between India and Pakistan and the tragic loss of civilian lives on both sides. As two nuclear-armed nations, escalation risks catastrophe.”

“I call on both governments to step back from the brink to prioritize dialogue and sustainable peace,” Chowns continued.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry voiced its concern on Wednesday about the ongoing developments between the two countries. China owns about 15% of Kashmir.

“China condemns all forms of terrorism. We urge both India and Pakistan to prioritize peace and stability, remain calm and restrained, and avoid actions that could further complicate the situation,” the ministry stated. “China finds India’s military operation this morning regrettable… India and Pakistan are and will always be neighbors to each other, and to China as well.”

In the United States, which supported Pakistan’s 1971 genocide in Bangladesh that concluded following an Indian invasion, President Donald Trump described the escalating tensions between the nuclear neighbors as “a shame.”

“I hope it concludes very soon,” Trump added, offering to mediate a deescalation between the two countries, as the U.S. has frequently done in the past.

U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) stated on social media that “a military conflict between India and Pakistan would be catastrophic for the world and must be avoided at all costs.”

“The United States and our allies must do everything in our power to prevent further escalation and pursue all available diplomatic avenues to resolve this peacefully,” Omar affirmed.