Indian carriers are grappling with severe operational disruptions after Iran launched missile strikes on the US military base in Qatar late Monday. This led to airspace closures for long hours in parts of West Asia. Iran, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait shut down their skies following the attack, forcing airlines to cancel, divert, or delay flights through these vital corridors.
India has strongly condemned Pakistan's recent drone attacks on Indian cities and civilian infrastructure, calling it a "deranged fantasy" and a desperate attempt to deceive the world. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri also accused Pakistan of attacking religious sites, including a gurdwara in Amritsar, in an attempt to give a communal color to the situation. Misri criticized Pakistan's "blatantly farcical denial" of the attacks and said the country is resorting to disinformation tactics.
During a meeting with Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir "president" Raja Zulqarnain Khan and "prime minister" Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider, Gilani said, Pakistan will "continue to support the just cause of the people of Kashmir."
Bhutto, who served as the Foreign Minister earlier, addressed a briefing at the UN Headquarters in New York and sought reconciliation with India, making a plea for talks and Intel sharing between the two neighbours.
India on Wednesday asked Pakistan to rein in its "compulsive hostility" towards it and fulfil its obligation to vacate illegal occupation of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which has become a "hub" for the global export of terror.
A big question mark is on whether Shashi Tharoor, who had led the delegation to the US among other countries, will be picked as speaker by the Congress, as the seasoned Lok Sabha member's enthusiastic endorsement of the government's action following the terror attack has soured his ties with his party.
John Spencer, the chair of Urban Warfare Studies at US-based think-tank Modern War Institute, said India showcased its ability to strike any target in Pakistan "at will" and drew and enforced a "new red line" for cross-border terrorism under the operation that was launched early on May 7.
India and Pakistan agreed on May 10 for a cessation of firing and military activity as a result of 'direct contact' between the director generals of military operations (DGMOs) of both nations, which was 'initiated by the Pakistani side', the Centre informed Parliament on Friday.
Leaders of Pakistan-based banned terrorist groups like the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen have called on supporters to wage a 'jihad' or holy war for the liberation of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Opposition parties have agreed to the agenda of taking up a special discussion on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor on Monday in Lok Sabha and the next day in Rajya Sabha, brightening up the prospect of normalcy returning to Parliament after the virtual washout of first-week proceedings.
The family of Navy officer Vinay Narwal, killed in a terror attack in Pahalgam, expressed gratitude for "Operation Sindoor", the Indian military's retaliatory strikes against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK. Vinay's wife, Himanshi, who was widowed during their honeymoon, called the operation a testament to her late husband's spirit and a strong message against terrorism. Vinay's father, Rajesh, said the strikes would make terrorists think twice before carrying out such attacks. The operation was lauded for its decisive response to the Pahalgam attack, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists.
Hafiz Saeed on Tuesday led a 'Kashmir Caravan' from Lahore to Islamabad
He said time had come to accept that there were militant training camps in Pakistan and 'Azad Kashmir' in the past, which were boldly closed down by President Pervez Musharraf.
Mock drills were conducted on Saturday in states and Union territories adjoining the western border -- from Jammu and Kashmir to Gujarat -- to enhance wartime emergency preparedness and response capabilities, officials said.
India and Pakistan look to take the peace process to the next level.
'It is typical of China's strategic deception of making virtue out of necessity,' observes Rup Narayan Das.
S&P Global Ratings on Thursday said the hostilities between India and Pakistan heighten risks to the credit metrics of both countries, and any escalation in clashes would put downward pressure on sovereign credit support.
Britain has ruled out any third party intervention in resolving the Kashmir issue saying that it was for India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution which takes into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
Pakistan wants a constructive engagement with India to settle all outstanding problems, including the Kashmir issue, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said on Tuesday."Pakistan is committed to constructive engagement with India for the settlement of all disputes, including Jammu and Kashmir," Ashraf said during a meeting with 'president' Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan and 'prime minister' Chaudhry Abdul Majeed of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
In clear signs of cross-Line of Control linkages to the latest trouble in Kashmir, talks intercepted by security agencies reveal how a Hizbul Mujahideen activist based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir enquires from a local contact about the status of protests and government response.
Over 100 terrorists, including high-value targets such as Yusuf Azhar, Abdul Malik Rauf and Mudasir Ahmed, were eliminated during Operation Sindoor on May 7, the Indian military said on Sunday.
'Imagine China pursuing its aims in Jammu and Kashmir by using Pakistani and now Afghan proxies.'
Main opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief Nawaz Sharif on Saturday said the Kashmir issue and differences over the sharing of river waters must be discussed during the February 25 talks between foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan.
Asserting that it was a matter of concern that Prime Minister Modi was comparing the Kashmir issue with Balochistan, Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam said the former should not take up two issues together.
PoK PM Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan supported the division of the state between Hindu and Muslim majority areas.
This has also raised concerns over undetected infiltrations from across the Line of Control and terrorists potentially residing in the outskirts of cities and villages, they said.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will continue as scheduled despite escalating tensions with India.
The sources said intelligence-based targeted strikes are being conducted by the Indian Army to neutralise mostly Pakistani and foreign terrorists, and the collateral damage has been very negligible in these operations.
Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi told US Vice President JD Vance on May 9 that Indian response will be "more forceful, stronger, devastating" in response to Pakistani actions, the sources said.
Over 75 government employees with terror links have been dismissed so far by the LG administration.
The invitation cards for the 79th Independence Day celebration also carry the Operation Sindoor logo, and the water mark of Chenab bridge to exemplify the rise of 'Naya Bharat'. Floral decorations at the venue will also be based on 'Operation Sindoor'.
Arathy, daughter of N Ramachandran who was killed in a terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam, welcomed the Indian Army's "Operation Sindoor" and said it was a reply from the women of India. She said the loss cannot be compensated, but the operation is a kind of relief from the government and the army. Arathy's father was killed by terrorists in front of her while holidaying in Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22.
Manoj Tiwary shared his thoughts on whether the India-Pakistan clash should take place
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).
'Indian Army officers always lead their men into battle or combat. Pakistani officers are seldom seen at the front.'
India has taken strong exception to Pakistan raising the issue of Kashmir at the United Nations, calling Islamabad's reference to Jammu and Kashmir at the world body a "blatant" attempt to divert attention from its dismal record of human rights in "Pakistan occupied Kashmir."
India has accused Pakistan of violating the spirit of the Indus Waters Treaty by engaging in acts of terrorism and refusing to modify the treaty. India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, addressed the UN Security Council, highlighting Pakistan's disinformation regarding the treaty and its continued support for cross-border terrorism. He stated that India has always acted responsibly as an upper riparian state and that Pakistan's actions have jeopardized civilian lives, religious harmony, and economic prosperity. India has suspended the treaty until Pakistan ends its support for terrorism.
Doval briefed his counterparts in the United States, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and Japan about India's missile strikes against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. He also established contact with Russia and France, officials said.
