'There are times when India should stand up without hesitation and voice its indignation over the US' pressure tactic. This is one such moment,' asserts Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The worst-hit in the Pakistani shelling was Poonch district which accounted for all the civilian deaths, the officials said, adding 28 persons were also injured and the condition of some of them was stated to be critical.
The Chinese military on Monday denied reports that its largest military cargo plane has carried arms supplies to Pakistan and warned legal action against those spreading such rumours.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the exceptional coordination among the three armed forces -- fear instilled by the Navy, extraordinary skills of the Air Force and bravery of the Army -- forced Pakistan to its knees during Operation Sindoor in no time.
'Had Haji Pir and/or Skardu been taken, the message would have gone out not just to General Asim Munir and his cohort in the Pakistan army but to the Pakistani people that every terrorist incident in India would lead to substantial loss of territory in PoK.'
Developing relations with the Taliban is needed, but plunging headlong into Afghanistan without due thought will be akin to the rooster entering a KFC outlet, warns Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (Retd).
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the "unprovoked and naked aggression" by India along the LoC.
Army spokesman Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry in a media interaction said at least 26 people were killed and 46 injured in the missile strikes on cities in Punjab and PoK. "The six locations that India attacked last night... Pakistan lost 26 people and 46 were injured," he said.
Having control over both digital media and NGOs, it was easy for the US to topple the government and destabilise Nepal -- to undercut Chinese influence and pressure India, argues Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (retd).
In his address, Sharif praised US President Donald Trump, saying his "efforts for peace helped avert a ... war in South Asia".
A top American military commander has said that the US is watching the situation very closely after Indian military strikes on terror targets in PoK and Pakistan's Punjab province. The United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) is one of six geographic Unified Combatant Commands of the United States Armed Forces, headquartered in Hawaii. Earlier on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said he wants India and Pakistan to stop the conflict, saying if he can do anything to help, he will be there. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters in New Delhi on Wednesday that the Indian military carried out a measured, non-escalatory, proportionate, and responsible strike to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan to deter and to pre-empt any further terrorist strikes.
Akhtar criticised vested interest groups in Pakistan, particularly the army, the political establishment and the extreme right wing, for blocking peace efforts between the two nations.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has called for a 'composite dialogue' with India to address the contentious issues between the two sides.
Pakistani troops continued to violate the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) by resorting to unprovoked firing in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch and Kupwara districts, army officials said. This was the fourth consecutive night that Pakistan resorted to unprovoked firing along the LoC and came amid heightened tension between New Delhi and Islamabad following last week's terror attack in Pahalgam. Indian troops responded swiftly and effectively.
Asian Cricket Council chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the PCB chief, walked away with the Asia Cup trophy after India refused to take the silverware from his hands.
The Pakistan Army and members of the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) of Hafiz Saeed attended the funeral of three persons killed in the Indian military strikes on the terror group's headquarters in Muridke, some 40 kms from Lahore. The funeral prayer was held amid high security, with members of the civil bureaucracy also present. Qayyum, a JuD spokesperson, said the three persons were sleeping in a room adjacent to the mosque when the Indian attack occurred and the mosque was destroyed. He said Malik, Khalid, and Mudassir, believed to be members of the JuD, served as the mosque's prayer leaders and caretakers.
'Saudi-Pak defence pact is to anchor the defence and security of Saudi Arabia and not Pakistan, per se, with Islamabad being the junior partner.'
The government has extended the tenure of Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan up to May next year.
Pakistan has offered to join any neutral and transparent probe into the Pahalgam terrorist attack that killed 26 people. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also warned India against any attempt to stop, reduce or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan, saying any such action would be responded to with full force and might. Sharif said Pakistan has always condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and has endured immense loss of over 90,000 casualties and economic losses exceeding USD 600 billion. He also reiterated Pakistan's support for the right of self-determination of the Kashmiri people.
'This strike has certainly enhanced your image.' 'Otherwise, people would have called you a damp squib, capable of doing nothing except talking big.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Tianjin, as both nations look to strengthen ties amid global trade tensions.
Indian army chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Saturday said that the surgical strikes carried out during Operation Sindoor were a clear message to Pakistan that supporters of terrorism will not be spared.
It is time we buried the mantra of 'peaceful and stable Pakistan is in our interest'. It is not, simply because Pakistan's existence -- that is synonymous with its army -- means peace has no chance, asserts Colonel Anil A Athale (Retd). It is time we buried the mantra of 'peaceful and stable Pakistan is in our interest' asserts Colonel Anil A Athale (Retd).
While the Prime Minister did not spell out the details of the three instances, his remarks are being widely interpreted as a reference to the 2016 surgical strikes following the Uri terror attack, the 2019 Balakot air strikes after the Pulwama bombing, and the recent cross-border strikes as part of 'Operation Sindoor'.
'India won't take anything from Pakistan lying down.'
'Every decision India makes along the LoC, it must also consider implications along the LAC.'
'The government has to explain (to the army, air force and navy chiefs) whether they want a punitive strike, a deep punitive strike, or whether they want limited war or an all-out war, will it be a circumscribed war or will it be a shallow attack along the border.'
The Congress leadership is reportedly upset with former Home Minister P Chidambaram for his remarks on 'Operation Blue Star'. Party sources indicate that senior leaders should be cautious about making public statements that could embarrass the party.
Pakistan's new President Asif Ali Zardari may face threat from his country's army, which remains unwilling to counter a resurgent Taliban effectively, a leading think tank claimed on Thursday."The Pakistani army remains unable or unwilling to counter effectively the resurgent Taliban and Zardari's major challenge is to gain the trust of the army, which in turn may pose a threat to him," the International Institute for Strategic Studies said.
The United States said it encourages 'direct communication' between India and Pakistan and commends Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for choosing the path of peace.
'There has been no gentlemanness in the game. There have been very rude, arrogant gestures on the field.'
'It could take the form of sporadic LoC violation through heavy artillery and mortar fire, focusing on border villages where the Hindu Dogra population is predominant.'
Pakistani troops continued unprovoked small arms firing in different sectors along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir for the 10th consecutive night, prompting effective retaliation by the Indian army. The ceasefire violations, which started after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, were reported from eight places across five districts in the Union Territory during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday. Indian Army responded promptly and proportionately to the unprovoked firing, a defence spokesperson said.
He said around 500 infiltrators were waiting to infiltrate into the country.
India had better be prepared. Munir could be back at our throats soon, even within the next 12 months, warns Shekhar Gupta.
Regarding the possibility of talks, the minister said he was not aware of any such potential engagements.
Pakistan plans to procure 40 jets of advanced Chinese stealth fighter J-35, which, if materialised, will mark the first export of China's latest jet. The sale would mark Beijing's first export of fifth-generation jets to a foreign ally and is expected to recalibrate regional dynamics, particularly in relation to Pakistan's rival India. The acquisition of new aircraft was pursued despite the serious economic crisis faced by Pakistan. China has helped Pakistan to jointly develop and operate the J-17 Thunder fighter jet, the mainstay of the PAF. China has delivered four advanced naval frigates to the Pakistan Navy in the last few years to enable it to play a bigger role along with its navy in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea.
Asian Cricket Council chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the PCB chief, walked away with the Asia Cup trophy after India refused to take the silverware from his hands.
Eventually, the speculations cleared up after it was confirmed by the BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia. He disclosed that India had refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy during the presentation ceremony from ACC Chairman Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan's interior minister.
But it is less adventurous. It seems, at last, that in its eighth decade, Pakistan has settled into being a parliamentary democracy just like Bangladesh has and like we have always been, observes Aakar Patel.
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