Category: National

US Vice President JD Vance has expressed hope that India’s response to the April 22 attack in Pahalgam in occupied Kashmir does not lead to a wider regional conflict.

“Our hope here is that India responds to this terrorist attack in a way that doesn’t lead to a wider regional conflict,” the US Vice President said in an interview with FOX News on Thursday.

Following last week’s attack in Pahalgam, a tourist spot in illegally occupied Kashmir, which had claimed the lives of 26 people, including a Nepalese national, India implied cross-border links without offering evidence or conducting an investigation. 

Condemning the attack, Pakistan has strongly rejected the accusations and called for a credible, transparent and neutral international investigation into the incident.

Asserting that the US is in close contact with friends in India and Pakistan, Vance said, “We hope frankly that Pakistan, to the extent that they are responsible, cooperate with India to make sure the terrorists, sometimes operating in their territory, are hunted down and dealt with. That’s how we hope this unfolds.”

Vance’s statement followed a question asked by the host whether the US worried about India and Pakistan, as tensions were escalating after the Pahalgam attack.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan ambassador to the US, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, in an interview with ABC News on Thursday, said that India has yet to provide any evidence related to the attack. 

He made it clear that Pakistan desires peace, but this should not be misconstrued as weakness. “…We want peace with dignity, but it should not in any way be seen as a sign of weakness that we are interested in peace,” he added.

He cautioned, “On our part, what we can do is exercise restraint, but if there is an attack on our territory, Pakistan will respond with full force and all that we have within our army. We do not want to initiate anything, but in a nuclear neighbourhood, if it gets started, nobody knows where it goes.”

On Wednesday, the US State Department said that the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, urged Pakistan and India to work together to ease tensions.

 
Rubio conveyed the message in separate calls with Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.

 
According to separate statements issued by the US State Department after the calls, the US Secretary of State called on Pakistan to cooperate in probing the attack in Pahalgam.

US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said that the Secretary of State encouraged Pakistan to work with India to ease tensions, restore direct communication, and promote peace and security in South Asia.

 
“The Secretary spoke of the need to condemn the terror attack on April 22 in Pahalgam,” Bruce said, adding that both leaders reaffirmed their continued commitment to holding terrorists accountable for their heinous acts of violence.

The Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) has decided to stop broadcasting Indian songs on FM radio stations nationwide, following the escalation of tensions between Pakistan and India.

This decision comes in the wake of the 22 April attack in Pahalgam, Indian Illegally Occupied Kashmir, which led to the deaths of 26 Indian tourists. In response, India has reportedly imposed a ban on Pakistani artists, television dramas, and entertainment channels, and has restricted access to the Instagram accounts of Pakistani celebrities, including Mahira Khan and Hania Aamir. Users in India now encounter a message stating that these accounts are unavailable due to legal requests.

Following these bans, the PBA announced the suspension of Indian content on local FM radio stations, a move that has received support from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. In an official letter, the ministry described the decision as a “principled” one, reflecting a unified national sentiment during a period of heightened political tension.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar expressed his support for the ban in a letter to PBA Secretary General Shakeel Masud. He commended the PBA for independently taking this initiative, highlighting that it reinforces a spirit of national unity. “This patriotic act is greatly valued and mirrors the collective sentiments of the entire nation,” he stated. He also mentioned that the decision demonstrates “a strong sense of national solidarity” and upholds “the dignity and sovereignty of the nation.”

Tarar also praised the media’s role during what he called a pivotal time. According to him, such decisions reflect the commitment of media stakeholders to promoting peace, unity, and the national interest. He concluded his letter with gratitude to the PBA and all involved parties for aligning their actions with the government’s broader objectives.

This is not the first time entertainment has become entangled in political disputes between the two nations, but this move marks a new chapter in the recurring cycle of bans that typically surface during periods of tension.

Amid rising tensions and warmongering following last week’s Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has urged Pakistan and India to work together to ease tensions, the US State Department said on Wednesday.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio conveyed the message in separate calls with Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.

According to separate statements issued by the State Department after the calls, the US Secretary of State called on Pakistan to cooperate in probing the attack in Pahalgam.

US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said that the Secretary of State encouraged Pakistan to work with India to ease tensions, restore direct communication, and promote peace and security in South Asia.

“The Secretary spoke of the need to condemn the terror attack on April 22 in Pahalgam,” Bruce said, adding that both leaders reaffirmed their continued commitment to holding terrorists accountable for their heinous acts of violence.

A separate readout of Rubio’s conversation with India’s foreign minister shared by Bruce said: “[Secretary of State Marco Rubio] encouraged India to work with Pakistan to de-escalate tensions and maintain peace and security in South Asia.”

Earlier, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in Pakistan also issued a statement, saying that during the call, PM Shehbaz shared Pakistan’s perspective on developments in South Asia since the Pahalgam incident.

Condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, PM Shehbaz termed India’s “escalatory and provocative” behaviour as deeply disappointing and worrisome.

As per the statement, the premier also highlighted Pakistan’s leading role in the fight against terror, noting that the country had sacrificed over 90,000 lives and suffered more than $152 billion in economic losses.

Rejecting India’s attempts to link Pakistan to the Pahalgam attack, he repeated his call for a transparent, credible, and neutral investigation.

On the long-standing Indus Water Treaty (IWT), the PM said that India had “weaponised” water, a vital resource for 240 million Pakistanis, emphasising that the IWT did not allow either country to unilaterally back out of its commitments.

All commercial flights scheduled to operate to and from Gilgit and Skardu have been cancelled amid security concerns, as tensions between Pakistan and India remain high following the April 22 attack in Pahalgam.

Pakistan has also increased monitoring of its airspace amid rising security concerns about possible aggression from India, media outlets quoted aviation sources as reporting on Wednesday.

Air traffic control authorities have issued new directives to closely monitor all flight activities, including those of foreign airlines passing through Pakistani airspace.

According to details, particular attention is being paid to flights arriving from India or operated by Indian carriers. Monitoring of suspicious aircraft has also been enhanced, and clearance for such flights will now require high-level approval.

Officials have said that the measures are precautionary and aimed at ensuring national airspace security during a period of elevated regional tension.

Meanwhile, special instructions reportedly have been issued to air traffic controllers at all major airports, including Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport. Controllers have been directed to demand air defence clearance numbers from pilots of any suspicious aircraft prior to departure. No aircraft will be cleared without proper documentation and identification.

Tensions between India and Pakistan have grown worse after the recent militant attack in Pahalgam, Indian Illegally-Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK). 

Days after the attack, the website of the Indian Army College of Nursing has reportedly been hacked. Indian media reports have said that a Pakistani hacker group called Team Insane PK may be behind the cyberattack. 

However, it is yet to be established that the group has any link to Pakistan. 

Hackers reportedly posted messages referring to the two-nation theory. Although the college operates under the Army Welfare Education Society, it will need help from India’s national cybersecurity team, CERT-In, to investigate the attack and fix the website.

Experts are now warning that, apart from political and military conflict, cyberattacks could become a serious part of future confrontations between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

India had already taken controversial and illegal steps against Pakistan after the Pahalgam incident. These include suspending the Indus Waters Treaty—a key water-sharing agreement between the two nations. India also expelled Pakistani defence advisors from its capital, New Delhi, labelling them “persona non grata.”

India also cancelled all Pakistani visas, except for a few long-term ones issued to Hindu Pakistani nationals. Most Pakistanis living in India were told to leave the country within 72 hours.

Pakistan didn’t stay silent either. Officials in Islamabad announced that they would freeze all agreements with India, including the important Simla Agreement. Pakistan also shut down its airspace to Indian flights, affecting both international and local travel routes. This decision is expected to cause delays and losses in trade and cargo movement.

Social media has also become a battleground. After the Pahalgam attack and India’s tough measures, many Pakistani users shared humorous memes and sarcastic posts, mocking India’s actions.

Amid escalating tension between Pakistan and India after the Pahalgam incident, the United States (US) State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said on Tuesday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to speak with the foreign ministers of both India and Pakistan.

“We are reaching out to both parties, and telling them of course not to escalate the situation. The secretary is expected to speak with the foreign minister of Pakistan and India as early as today or tomorrow,” the State Department spokesperson said when a journalist posed a question during the press briefing.

Following the Pahalgam incident, without providing verifiable evidence, India has attempted to link Pakistan to the attack. Pakistan has firmly denied the allegations and has offered to participate in a neutral and transparent international investigation.

Bruce said that the Secretary of State is also encouraging other foreign ministers and national leaders to reach out to the nuclear-armed arch rivals in a bid to diffuse tensions, adding that action is being taken every day.

While the State Department stopped short of commenting on specific allegations, the spokesperson reiterated the US position: “We are watching the situation closely and remain in direct touch with both governments. We are, of course, encouraging all the parties to work together for a responsible solution. The world is watching this.”

On being asked about recent collaboration following Pakistan’s facilitation in the arrest of an Islamic State Khorasan suspect, Bruce acknowledged Pakistan’s cooperation, noting: “We appreciated that arrest when it occurred.”

When asked about Pakistani minister Khwaja Asif’s statement about historic cooperation with the US, Bruce declined to offer specific commentary, instead highlighting ongoing multi-level engagement with Islamabad.