Pakistan on High Alert Following Indian Airstrikes: What’s Next?
Emergency Measures in Pakistan Amid Rising Tensions
Islamabad: In response to recent Indian airstrikes, Pakistan has declared a state of 'red alert'. Government hospitals nationwide are prepared for emergencies, while airspace for both domestic and international flights has been suspended for a period of 24 to 36 hours. Additionally, all educational institutions in Islamabad and the Punjab province are closed, and military forces are on standby.
According to Lt. General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director General of Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the airstrikes have resulted in at least 26 fatalities and left 46 individuals injured. The Indian government claims these strikes targeted terrorist camps located in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and the Punjab region.
The recent military actions have alarmed local residents, who are concerned about the potential for escalating conflict between the two nations. These strikes were a direct response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, where four militants killed 26 civilians, with two of the attackers reportedly from Pakistan.
The airstrikes hit six locations within Pakistan, including Masjid SubhanAllah, which is believed to be the hideout of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) leader Maulana Masood Azhar, situated in the Ahmedpur Sharqia area of Bahawalpur in South Punjab.
Further strikes targeted other areas, such as Muridke, known as the headquarters for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat ud Dawa (JuD) leader Hafiz Saeed, along with locations in Muzaffarabad, Kotli, and Bagh.
In light of these developments, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has convened an emergency meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) at the Prime Minister's House to address the escalating security situation and strategize Pakistan's response to India. He is expected to address the nation on Wednesday afternoon.
This critical meeting aims to establish a policy direction and consider the involvement of global powers, including the United States, which has urged both nations to exercise restraint and work towards de-escalating the rising tensions between these two nuclear-armed countries.