Islamabad (TDI): The Pakistan Air Force detected four Indian Rafale fighter jets patrolling near the Line of Control late Tuesday night, forcing them to retreat after conducting a coordinated response.
The Indian jets were reportedly patrolling within the airspace over Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) when PAF aircraft detected their presence and responded immediately.
Tensions have surged between the two nuclear-armed neighbours following a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, located in IIOJK.
The attack, which occurred on April 22, claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists, making it one of the deadliest incidents in the occupied valley since the year 2000.
On April 23, New Delhi unilaterally suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a critical water-sharing deal mediated by the World Bank, which has held steady through numerous conflicts between the two nations.
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The next day, Islamabad retaliated by threatening to put the 1972 Simla Agreement in abeyance and closing its airspace to Indian airlines.
India has said that cross-border links may have been involved in the Pahalgam attack, although it has not provided any proof. In contrast, Pakistan has strongly denied any involvement.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for an independent probe into the incident to determine the truth.
Meanwhile, Information Minister Atta Tarar has warned that Pakistan has credible intelligence indicating India intends military action against Pakistan within the next 24 to 36 hours, using the Pahalgam incident as a pretext.
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He criticized India’s approach, accusing it of assuming a “self-assigned role of judge, jury and executioner” in the region, which was labelled as irresponsible and destabilizing.
He said that Pakistan has been the victim of terrorism itself and truly understands the pain of this scourge. “We have always condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations anywhere in the world.”
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
