India, Pakistan Signal Intent to Ease Tensions After Strikes
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'If India stops, we will stop,' Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said in an interview with Samaa TV, just hours after the army announced it had struck several Indian military sites in retaliation for New Delhi's missile attacks on Pakistani airbases.
At a briefing in New Delhi, Indian officials said any future action would depend on Pakistan's next steps. 'Indian Armed Forces reiterate commitment to non-escalation provided it is reciprocated by Pakistani military,' said Wing Commander Vyomika Singh. The briefing primarily focused on how India repelled Pakistan's military attacks earlier in the day.
The armed standoff, now in its fourth day, is at its most dangerous level in years, with both sides firing missiles and deploying drones over key military sites and densely populated cities. The US, China and Saudi Arabia are among those rushing to find a diplomatic solution. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a rare call with Pakistan army chief Asim Munir, and a separate one with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in a bid to de-escalate tensions.
Rubio 'continued to urge both parties to find ways to de-escalate and offered U.S. assistance in starting constructive talks in order to avoid future conflict,' spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement.
While tensions between the two South Asian rivals remain high, there was a slight change in tone after the military strikes on Saturday. Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, speaking on Geo Television on Saturday, denied local media reports claiming Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had called a meeting of the National Command Authority, the body responsible for decisions on nuclear weapons.
'We hope India will now choose dialog over escalation,' Ahsan Iqbal, Pakistan's planning minister, said in a statement posted on the ministry's X account. He added Pakistan doesn't wish to see the no-first-use nuclear doctrine unravel.
Even so, Pakistan's army wields significant control in the country and a decision to de-escalate will likely rest with the powerful army chief.
Early Saturday, the army said it began a counter-attack after Indian jets struck three of Pakistan's airbases with missiles, including Noor Airbase in Rawalpindi, which holds the army's headquarters and is located close to the capital Islamabad. The army said it retaliated by hitting Indian airbases and other military sites in Punjab state and the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir region.
At the briefing in New Delhi on Saturday, officials denied Pakistan's claims that Indian airbases were destroyed. India's army said it carried out 'precision attacks' on military targets in Pakistan, including Sialkot airbase, but didn't name the military site in Rawalpindi.
Vikram Misri, India's foreign secretary, blamed Pakistan for escalating the conflict by targeting civilian sites in cities like Srinagar, the capital of India's Jammu and Kashmir region, and Rajouri. He said Pakistan had targeted a medical center, school and airbases in Srinagar, Awantipora and Udhampur. Pakistan denied hitting any civilian sites.
Pakistan closed its airspace for all flights until noon Sunday. India also announced the closure of 32 airports in the northern and western parts of the country, and suspended 25 air route segments, until May 15.
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was 'deeply concerned about the escalation' in hostilities and called on both sides to 'refrain from any action' that could further heighten tensions. Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan held calls with his counterparts in India and Pakistan, also calling for a de-escalation of the conflict.
Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven said in a statement that further military escalation poses a 'serious threat' to regional stability and both countries should engage in 'direct dialog towards a peaceful outcome.'
Tensions between the countries erupted on April 22, when gunmen killed 26 civilians in India's Jammu and Kashmir region, mainly Hindu tourists. India called the attack an act of terrorism and accused Pakistan of involvement, allegations Islamabad has denied.
This week, the situation escalated dramatically when India carried out a operation against what it described as terrorist camps inside Pakistan. The strikes on nine targets, which Pakistan's army said killed 31 civilians, were the deepest breach of Pakistani territory by India since the 1971 war.
The conflict has roiled financial markets in both nations. India's NSE Nifty 50 index dropped more than 1% on Friday, the most in a month. After plunging on Thursday, Pakistan stocks rose on Friday before the International Monetary Fund approved a $1 billion loan disbursement.
Pakistan and India have clashed several times over the disputed region of Kashmir since independence from Britain in 1947. The last time the two nations came close to an all-out war was in 2019, after a suicide bomber killed 40 members of India's security forces.
India blamed Pakistan and responded about two weeks later with its first airstrikes on Pakistani soil since 1971. Pakistan retaliated by shooting down an Indian jet and arresting the pilot, who was later released. Tensions died down soon afterward.
--With assistance from Chiranjivi Chakraborty.
(Updates with comments from Saudi Arabia)
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