Islamabad will convene high-level security and diplomatic meetings today to formulate its official response after India took stringent measures following a deadly terrorist attack against tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir that left five Indian civilians dead and many more injured – sparking deepened tensions between these nuclear-armed neighbors.
India has accused Pakistani-based terror groups of orchestrating the ambush, and has launched a strong diplomatic and political offensive in response, suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, closing Attari-Wagah border crossing and summoning Pakistan’s senior diplomat in New Delhi as well as holding an all-party meeting to discuss further steps.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called an emergency session of Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC), composed of top military, intelligence, and foreign policy officials. Government sources report that this meeting will focus on assessing India’s latest actions as well as formulating an effective domestic and international response plan to them.
Pakistan emphatically refutes any and all allegations linking it to the Pahalgam attack,” stated Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar prior to an NSC meeting. India’s response was reckless and provocative – we will respond via appropriate diplomatic and strategic channels.”
Pakistan’s Foreign Office has denounced India’s actions – particularly their suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty – as violating international norms and setting an irreparably dangerous precedent in bilateral relations. Legal experts in Islamabad warn that such moves could spark larger diplomatic consequences, potentially including involvement from institutions like the World Bank that helped broker it in the first place.
Pakistani military troops are reported to be on high alert along the Line of Control (LoC), amid fears over cross-border retaliation or covert operations by India. Analysts anticipate Pakistan will try to undermine India’s narrative at various international forums such as United Nations and Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC), while also seeking diplomatic support from key allies like China, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
As regional tensions amplify, international observers are calling for calm. Both the UN and EU have advocated de-escalation and dialogue as further confrontation could threaten peace and stability across South Asia.
Today’s high-level meetings in Islamabad will be closely observed, as both nations stand at a pivotal juncture where diplomatic choices could either ease or worsen the crisis.