RAWALPINDI, Wednesday, May 07, 2025 : At least 31 civilians were martyred and 57 others injured after Indian forces launched a series of overnight missile strikes on Pakistani territory between May 6 and 7, in what Pakistan\u2019s military described as a deliberate and cowardly escalation targeting civilians and religious sites.<\/p>\n
Addressing a press conference, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry condemned the attacks, saying Indian forces fired under the cover of darkness, hitting residential neighborhoods and mosques across the Line of Control (LoC). \u201cThis is not an act of war \u2014 this is a crime against humanity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The military spokesperson accused the Modi-led Indian government of targeting innocent civilians, including women and children, as part of what he termed a \u201cdesperate and cowardly strategy\u201d to provoke regional instability. \u201cIndia could not face the Pakistani military in battle, so it targeted the defenseless in the dark of night,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Lt Gen Chaudhry said Indian shelling damaged multiple mosques, desecrating copies of the Holy Quran \u2014 a move he called a \u201cnew moral low\u201d and an attack not just on Pakistan but on the sanctity of all religions. \u201cIs there any faith in the world that permits the destruction of places of worship and sacred scripture?\u201d he asked, showing footage of destroyed religious sites.<\/p>\n
The DG ISPR emphasized that Pakistan responded with professionalism and precision, targeting only Indian military positions along the LoC. \u201cWe do not mirror India\u2019s cowardice. Our retaliatory strikes were confined to legitimate military targets \u2014 not a single civilian was harmed by Pakistani fire,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He confirmed that in response to India\u2019s attempted air incursions, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) shot down five Indian fighter jets \u2014 including three Rafales, one MiG-29, and one Su-30 \u2014 along with an Israeli-made Heron drone. \u201cOur airspace remained secure. Not one Indian aircraft entered Pakistani airspace, and not one of our aircraft crossed into Indian territory,\u201d he clarified.<\/p>\n
Lt Gen Chaudhry also revealed that India had targeted the Noseri Dam near the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project, endangering thousands of lives and critical infrastructure. He warned that such attacks on water installations violated multiple provisions of international law, including Articles 54 and 56 of the 1977 Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit targeting infrastructure essential for civilian survival.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo civilized nation attacks dams or water systems,\u201d he said, adding that Pakistan had presented the global community with visual evidence of India\u2019s violation of humanitarian norms and international law.<\/p>\n
In addition to its air assault, India launched multiple drones, including reconnaissance variants. According to the DG ISPR, Pakistan\u2019s Armed Forces neutralized several of them using electronic warfare (EW) systems. \u201cWe suffered no combat casualties, and all military assets remain safe and fully operational,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He also pointed to the suspicious timing of the Indian assault, noting it coincided with Pakistan\u2019s scheduled media tour of areas falsely labeled by India as \u201cterrorist training camps.\u201d Around 150 local and international journalists were visiting Bahawalpur, Muridke, Kotli, and Muzaffarabad \u2014 the same areas India had accused of harboring militants.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese journalists saw for themselves the truth \u2014 no training camps, only mosques, homes, and peaceful neighborhoods,\u201d Chaudhry said. \u201cIndia launched missiles just as Pakistan was exposing its lies to the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
He warned that India\u2019s reckless escalation endangered not only regional peace but also international aviation. \u201cAt the time of India\u2019s missile strikes, 57 commercial flights were in the air over Pakistan \u2014 including aircraft from PIA, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Saudi Airlines, and others,\u201d he disclosed. \u201cThis shows India\u2019s disregard for international norms and the lives of innocent passengers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reaffirming Pakistan\u2019s commitment to peace, the military spokesperson stressed that the country’s restraint should not be mistaken for weakness. \u201cThe people of Pakistan and its Armed Forces are united. We stand ready to defend every inch of our land, and we will never compromise on our sovereignty,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n
Lt Gen Chaudhry praised the Pakistani nation for its unity in the face of aggression, calling the people \u201can unbreakable wall\u201d standing with their soldiers. He urged citizens to maintain this national resolve.<\/p>\n
In a final, firm message to India, the DG ISPR said: \u201cEvery drop of innocent blood will be accounted for. Justice will prevail \u2014 Insha\u2019Allah.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
RAWALPINDI, Wednesday, May 07, 2025 : At least 31 civilians were martyred and 57 others injured after Indian forces launched a series of overnight missile strikes on Pakistani territory between May 6 and 7, in what Pakistan\u2019s military described as a deliberate and cowardly escalation targeting civilians and religious sites. Addressing a press conference, Director […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4608,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[45,43],"class_list":{"0":"post-4632","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-national","8":"tag-national","9":"tag-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4632","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4632"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4632\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4608"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4632"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4632"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4632"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}