The Pakistani side is preparing for a possible response after India strikes nine targets across six locations in Pakistani territory on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday, reports citing experts said.
While the rest of the world, including China, the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the UN, has urged both sides to exercise restraint, yet the possibility of confrontations or retaliatory attacks almost appears to be real between the two nations.
While officials said the intended target was only hit, the Army infrastructure was not attacked. The Pakistani side said at least 26 civilians were killed, despite officials from the Indian side claiming there were no civilian casualties.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday morning that Islamabad has every right to respond to the “act of war,” and the entire nation stands with the Pakistani forces, whose morale and spirits are high. “Pakistan has every right to give a robust response to this act of war imposed by India, and a strong response is indeed being given,” he said.
The analysts now predict the response in the imminent future but question the level of force Pakistan will be willing to use during the retaliations. The recent terror attack in Pahalgam sent shockwaves across the region. India was compelled to take strong measures against what Prime Minister Modi deemed necessary.
The National Investigation Agency said that it says it has evidence Pakistan was involved in the 22 April terror attack on Pahalgam in Kashmir, where 26 people were killed, most of them tourists. Islamabad has rejected the allegations and called for an independent investigation.
While India carried out the first strike inside the Pakistani territory, now the dynamics have shifted again.
Reacting to the ongoing development, Indian army’s retired Lt Col JS Sodhi told reporters that, “Pakistan has a history of swift counterattacks—it’s something we’re taught in army training as well. So, a retaliation is not a question of 'if' but 'when.'
Pakistan will have to respond to satisfy its domestic audience. Not doing so would invite criticism for both the Shehbaz Sharif government and the Pakistan Army, which are already facing immense pressure on the domestic front by people and by opposition parties.
“Pakistan will avoid targeting any major military installation in India, as that would be seen as an act of war. Instead, we can expect them to strike civilian infrastructure or bomb at border areas, which could cause civilian casualties, a move intended to send a message without provoking full-scale war,” he said.
Responding to the Indian strikes, the Chinese foreign ministry said the Xi Jinping government finds "India’s military operation early this morning regrettable.”
“China opposes all forms of terrorism. We urge both sides to act in the larger interest of peace and stability, remain calm, exercise restraint, and refrain from taking actions that may further complicate the situation," a spokesperson added.
Michael Kugleman, an author specialising in South Asia affairs, said the stakes are now much higher and warned that the current tit-for-tat dynamic is “higher up the escalatory ladder” than in past confrontations.
He added that the strike from the Indian side was intense in years and that Pakistan’s response would “surely pack a punch as well.”
“These are two strong militaries that, even with nuclear weapons as a deterrent, are not afraid to deploy sizeable levels of conventional military force against each other,” Kugleman told reporters.
“This time the escalation is real. They could very well spiral out of control and quickly.” The Pakistani government and its military leadership are under immense pressure due to lack of popular support over the accusations of rigging the February 8, 2024, general elections.
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