We'll avenge each drop of the blood of these martyrs: Pakistan PM

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will address the nation at 9:30pm local time amid the recent escalation in tensions between Pakistan and India, Dawn reports quoting a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

Speaking in the National Assembly earlier today, he called on all political leaders to come and sit together to make Pakistan a “united nation”.

India and Pakistan exchanged heavy artillery along their contested frontier on Wednesday after New Delhi launched deadly missile strikes on its arch-rival, in the worst violence between the nuclear-armed neighbours in two decades, AFP reports.

At least 36 deaths were reported. Islamabad said 26 civilians were killed by the Indian strikes and firing along the border, while New Delhi said at least eight died from Pakistani shelling.

Indian Air Force officer Vyomika Singh said “nine terrorist camps were targeted and successfully destroyed”, days after New Delhi blamed Islamabad for backing a deadly attack on the Indian-run side of disputed Kashmir.

India named the strikes on Pakistan as Operation Sindoor.

The Pakistani government has authorised the military to "undertake corresponding actions" after India's strikes, Deutsche Welle reported.

"These unprovoked and unjustified attacks deliberately targeted the civilian areas, on the false pretext of presence of imaginary terrorist camps, resulting in the martyrdom of innocent men, women, and children, and causing damage to the civilian infrastructure, including mosques," an Information Ministry statement said.

"In consonance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, Pakistan reserves the right to respond, in self-defense, at a time, place, and manner of its choosing to avenge the loss of innocent Pakistani lives and blatant violation of its sovereignty."

"The Armed Forces of Pakistan have duly been authorised to undertake corresponding actions in this regard," the ministry said.

Reuters published as the comparative pictures on the military strengths the two countries.

The National Security Committee meeting has issued a condemnation against the “illegal acts” by India declaring them as “blatant violations of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, which manifestly constituted acts of war under international law”, Pakistan based newspaper DWAN reports.

“The deliberate targeting of civilians, including innocent women and children, by the Indian military constitutes a heinous and shameful crime, that is in violation of all norms of human behaviour and the provisions of international law.”

The top security body’s meeting — chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif —was attended by CJCSC Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza, ISI DG Gen Asim Malik and the services chiefs, footage showed.

With India's defence forces having carried out strikes on terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, the government has convened an all-party meeting on Thursday to brief the political parties on the steps taken by it, ANI reports.

The all-party meeting will be held at 11:00 am in the Parliament Library Building.

"Govt has called an All Party leaders meeting at 11 am on 8th May, 2025 at Committee Room: G-074, in the Parliament Library Building, Parliament Complex in New Delhi," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said in a post on X.

The Congress has called a meeting of its senior leaders at 3 pm on Wednesday to discuss the current security scenario.

Indian budget airline carrier IndiGo on Wednesday cancelled its flight operations in 11 cities across north, northwestern and central India till 10 May, amid the escalation of war between India and Pakistan, Indian media ANI reports.

IndiGo in its travel advisory stated that Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Leh, Chandigarh, Dharamshala, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Gwalior, Kishangarh, and Rajkot are the affected cities where flight operations have been cancelled till 5:29 am IST on 10 May.

"Following aviation directives, flights to/from these cities remain cancelled until 10 May, 0529 hrs," the budget carrier stated on X.

"In line with directives from aviation authorities regarding airport closures, we're in the process of cancelling all flights to and from Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Leh, Chandigarh, Dharamshala, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Gwalior, Kishangarh, and Rajkot until 0529 hrs on 10th May. We are closely monitoring the situation, and further schedule adjustments across other sectors may follow," the advisory read.

"Rest assured, we'll keep you informed of any developments. Customers are sincerely advised to check their flight status before leaving for the airport. We understand these are sensitive times, and as always, we are here to support you. Thank you for your continued patience and cooperation," it added.

Since their creation in 1947, India and Pakistan have fought multiple wars - most centred on Kashmir, according to BBC.

The first erupted just months after partition, ending in a 1949 UN-brokered ceasefire that split the region but left both nations claiming it in full.

In 1965, they fought again when Pakistani forces crossed into Indian-administered Kashmir, leading to fierce ground and air battles.

In 1971, war flared over East Pakistan, where India supported independence forces, ultimately leading to the creation of Bangladesh.

The 1999 Kargil conflict saw Pakistani troops infiltrate Indian-administered Kashmir; it was the first clash between the nuclear-armed rivals, sparking global alarm.

In more recent years, tensions surged after militant attacks: India launched “surgical strikes” in 2016 after the Uri attack and conducted airstrikes near Balakot in 2019 following the Pulwama bombing.

Pakistan responded with its own air incursions, marking one of the most dangerous escalations since Kargil.

Maulana Masood Azhar, a UN-designated terrorist based in Pakistan, has announced that 10 members of his family and four close associates have been killed in India's strike on the Subhan Allah Mosque in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, according to BBC.

A statement issued on Wednesday by the militant group he heads - Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) - said that the deceased included his elder sister and her husband, his nephew and his wife, a niece, and five children from his family.

JeM carried out a suicide bombing in February 2019 that killed 40 troops in Indian-administered Kashmir, bringing the neighbours to the brink of war.

The group also said that the strike killed three of Azhar's close aides and the mother of one of them.

Mock security drills are being held across several Indian cities and towns on Wednesday, BBC reports.

Earlier, India's home ministry had asked officials to conduct these in almost 250 districts with the aim of assessing and enhancing "civil defence mechanisms".

The mock drills aim to test India's readiness for emergency situations such as air raids, blackouts, and evacuations and were announced before the Indian air strikes on Pakistan.

The European Union has urged Pakistan and India to take “immediate steps” to de-escalate the ongoing situation between the neighbours, AFP reports.

“We do urge both sides to show restraint and take immediate steps towards de-escalation. The EU recalls the need for a negotiated, agreed and lasting, peaceful solution to the conflict,” EU foreign affairs spokesman Anouar El Anouni told reporters.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on India and Pakistan on Wednesday to engage in "dialogue" after the two exchanged heavy artillery fire across their contested border, APF reports.

Starmer told parliament that Britain was "engaging urgently" with both Commonwealth countries and "encouraging dialogue" as well as "de-escalation" in the worst violence between the nuclear-armed neighbours in two decades that has left at least 38 dead.

France and Germany are highly concerned by clashes between India and Pakistan, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Wednesday, calling for reason to prevail on both sides, AFP reports.

"We are deeply worried by last night's clashes between these two nuclear powers," Merz said at a press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron, adding that "now more than ever... reason and clear-headedness are required".

Bangladesh on Wednesday expressed its deep concern over the situation and urged both India and Pakistan to remain calm, show restraint and refrain from taking any steps that could further aggravate the situation, reports UNB.

"The government of Bangladesh is closely observing the evolving situation in India and Pakistan," said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a brief media release.

In the spirit of regional peace, prosperity and stability, Bangladesh said it remains hopeful that tensions will be defused through diplomatic endeavours, and that peace will ultimately prevail for the benefits of the peoples in the region.

The Indian army has said that artillery firing by Pakistan has led to the deaths of 15 civilians and injured 43 since Tuesday night, BBC reports.

It said that the shelling hit civilian areas in Poonch and Tangdar in Indian-administered Kashmir.

As we have been reporting, Pakistan has said 26 people have been killed in the air strikes and cross-border firing.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has told the parliament that his country's forces shot down five Indian aircraft, BBC reports citing Pakistani media.

He says two of them came down in Kashmir and one in India’s Bathinda.

Sharif's comments echo earlier claims from Pakistan's military. India hasn’t commented on this claim.

France's Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs said it supports India "in its fight against terrorist groups."

Indian officials in have told people near the international border with Pakistan to leave in India-administered Jammu and Kashmir, reports Reuters.

Several airlines cancelled flights to India, according to Reuters.

American Airlines says it has cancelled its flight from New York to Delhi for the day due to heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, and continues to monitor the situation. The company will also ferry an aircraft out of Delhi carrying only crew members.

United Airlines said it had cancelled its flight to New Delhi for the day due to rising tensions between India and Pakistan and resulting airspace limitations. The carrier said it will monitor the situation and take calls on future flights as more information becomes available.

Akasa Air cancels Srinagar flights until 9 May.

Pakistan has warned it will “avenge” those killed by Indian air strikes that New Delhi said were in response to an attack in Kashmir, signalling an imminent escalation in the worst violence in decades between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

At least 43 deaths have been reported so far, with Islamabad saying 31 civilians were killed by the Indian strikes and firing along the border, and New Delhi adding at least 12 dead from Pakistani shelling.

“We make this pledge, that we will avenge each drop of the blood of these martyrs,” Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in an address to the nation late Wednesday.

India’s army said it destroyed nine “terrorist camps” in Pakistan in the early hours of Wednesday, two weeks after New Delhi blamed Islamabad for backing an attack on tourists in the Indian-administered side of disputed Kashmir -- a charge Pakistan denies.

Pakistan military spokesman Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said five Indian jets had been downed across the border.

An Indian senior security source, who asked not to be named, said three of its fighter jets had crashed on home territory.

The two sides have exchanged heavy artillery fire along the Line of Control that divides Kashmir, which both countries claim in full but administer separately.

The South Asian neighbours have fought two full-scale wars over the divided territory since they were carved out of the sub-continent after gaining independence from British rule in 1947.