Pakistan says India will ‘pay the price’ as death toll from strikes rises to 31

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Updated 07 May 2025
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Pakistan says India will ‘pay the price’ as death toll from strikes rises to 31

  • In address to nation, Shehbaz Sharif vows India’s aggression will not distract Pakistan from “war against terrorism”
  • Pakistan has authorized its armed forces to take “corresponding actions” in response to India’s strikes on Wednesday night

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warned India on Wednesday that it would have to “pay the price” for launching missile strikes inside Pakistan’s territory that killed 31 civilians overnight, reiterating that Islamabad has the right to respond to India’s military aggression. 

Sharif’s statement followed the sharpest military escalation in more than two decades between the nuclear-armed rivals. The Indian government said it struck nine Pakistani “terrorist infrastructure” sites involved in planning a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22. The assault took place on the tourist hill station of Pahalgam in the part of Kashmir governed by India, with 26 men killed.

The Pakistani military said six locations across its territory — Ahmedpur East, Muridke, Sialkot, Shakargarh in the eastern province of Punjab and Kotli and Muzaffarabad in Azad Kashmir — were targeted. Azad Kashmir is the part of the disputed Kashmir valley that is administered by Pakistan. In response, Pakistan military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry had said five Indian planes and one combat drone that had attacked Pakistan were shot down, naming three Rafales and an MiG-29 and Su-57 each.

Pakistan has vowed that it has the right to respond to India’s military strikes as per international law. Sharif said earlier on Wednesday that the country’s top national security body had authorized its armed forces to take “corresponding actions” in response to Indian strikes. 

“For the blatant mistake that India made last night, it will now have to pay the price,” Sharif said in his televised address to the nation. “Perhaps they thought that we would retreat, but they forgot that by the grace of Allah, this is a nation of brave people whose determination is made of steel.”

He termed it India’s “delusion” to think that its strikes could distract Pakistan from its war to eliminate “terrorism.”

“God willing, we will take this war [against ‘terrorism’] to its logical conclusion,” he added. 

The Pakistani prime minister said the India’s attack was “baseless and unjustified,” saying that Islamabad had offered India a neutral, transparent, and credible investigation into the Pahalgam attack. He noted that Islamabad’s offer was supported by the international community. 

However, India chose aggression, violating international law and global norms, he said. 




A damaged portion of an administration block at the Government Health and Education complex, after it was hit by an Indian strike, in Muridke near Lahore, Pakistan May 7, 2025. (REUTERS)

Pakistan’s foreign ministry earlier said it had summoned India’s Chargé d’Affaires “to receive Pakistan’s strong protest over the unprovoked Indian strikes.”
“The Indian side was warned that such reckless behavior poses a serious threat to regional peace and stability,” the foreign office said. 

DEATH TOLL SURGES TO 31

Speaking to reporters at a news conference, Pakistan military’s spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said the death toll from Indian attacks on Wednesday night have surged from 26 to 31 while 57 people have been injured.

“The main reason for the rise in the martyrs and number of injured is due to India’s unprovoked shelling at the Line of Control and ceasefire violations,” Chaudhary said. 
The military spokesperson warned that Pakistan’s quest for peace should never be mistaken for its weakness. 




Pakistan's senior military and civil officials, along with residents, attend the funeral of Indian strike victims in Muridke, about 30 kms from Lahore, on May 7, 2025. (AFP)

“Because to protect its people, to protect its land, the armed forces of Pakistan will never compromise,” he said. 

Chaudhary concluded his press conference by assuring the masses that Pakistan’s armed forces would hold India accountable for casualties as a result of the Indian strikes. 

“TERRORIST CAMPS”

In New Delhi, two Indian military spokespersons told a briefing Indian forces had attacked facilities linked to militant groups Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. Pakistani officials say India only hit civilian infrastructure.

The strikes targeted “terrorist camps” that served as recruitment centers, launchpads, and indoctrination centers, and housed weapons and training facilities, the Indian spokespersons said.

They said Indian forces used niche technology weapons and carefully chose warheads to avoid collateral damage to civilians and civilian infrastructure, but did not elaborate on the specifics or methods used in the strikes.

“Intelligence and monitoring of Pakistan-based terror modules showed that further attacks against India were impending, therefore it was necessary to take pre-emptive and precautionary strikes,” Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, the top official in its external affairs ministry, told the briefing.

The joint briefing by the Indian military and foreign ministry listed past attacks in India blamed on Pakistan, with Misri saying Pakistan had not done anything to “terrorist infrastructure” after the Pahalgam attack, which triggered the latest standoff. 

Pakistan had denied involvement in the attack and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had offered to be part of any credible and transparent investigation.

Kashmir has been disputed between India and Pakistan since 1947. Both rule it in part and claim it in full and have fought two of their three wars over the Himalayan region. India accuses Pakistan of arming and training militants involved in a separatist insurgency in its part of Kashmir since 1989, which Islamabad denies, saying it offers only moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people in their struggle for self-determination.

The current confrontation is reminiscent of the last major military standoff between the two nations in 2019, when an Indian airstrike in the northwestern town of Balakot was followed by Pakistani retaliatory action, including the downing of an Indian fighter jet and the capture of its pilot, who was later released in a gesture of goodwill.

On Wednesday morning, the South Asian neighbors also exchanged intense shelling and heavy gunfire across much of their de facto border called the Line of Control, which divides disputed Kashmir between them.

The shelling across the frontier in Kashmir killed 10 civilians and injured 48 in the Indian part of the region, police there told media. At least six people were killed on the Pakistani side, Reuters reported, quoting officials.

Four local government sources in Indian-administered Kashmir told Reuters three fighter jets had crashed in separate areas of the Himalayan region during the night. Indian defense ministry officials have not officially confirmed the report.

– With inputs from Reuters


Pakistan arrests 11 after Balochistan ‘honor killing’ video sparks outrage

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Pakistan arrests 11 after Balochistan ‘honor killing’ video sparks outrage

  • Viral video clip shows couple being shot at by armed men for marrying of their choice
  • Balochistan chief minister says operation ongoing, vows all those involved will be arrested

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities have arrested 11 suspects for their involvement in the recent “honor killing” of a couple in the southwestern Balochistan province, Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said on Monday after a disturbing video of the incident went viral online last week.

The provincial government sprang into action on Sunday after a video clip, which shows a couple in Balochistan being shot at by armed men for marrying of their choice, sparked nationwide outrage and calls for bringing the perpetrators to justice. 

Bugti had taken to social media on Sunday to announce that one person had been arrested in connection with the incident. Speaking at a press conference in Karachi, Balochistan government spokesman Shahid Rind had said the incident captured in the viral video had taken place in Balochistan around Eid Al-Adha. 

“Update: So far, 11 suspects have been arrested and the operation is ongoing,” the Balochistan chief minister wrote on X.

“All those involved will be brought to justice. The state stands with the oppressed.”

So-called honor killings are common in Pakistan, where family members and relatives sometimes kill women and men who don’t follow local traditions and culture or decide to marry of their own choice.

Rind had said on Sunday that families of both victims had not reported the incident, vowing that the government would register a case over the incident with the state as a complainant.

The couple had been executed on the orders of a jirga, a council of tribal elders, according to reports. Rind said authorities had taken the suspects’ data after their identification through the viral video clip.

The incident also prompted condemnation from the Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC), a group of clerics and religious scholars, who said the killing of a woman or a man in the name of honor is “un-Islamic, anti-Sharia and terrorism.”

The PUC said “terrorism” cases should be filed against people involved in such incidents.

“Pakistan Ulema Council demands of Chief Minister Balochistan, Governor Balochistan and IGP Balochistan to arrest the culprits who killed a woman under ‘honor killing’ as depicted in a viral video on social media,” the council said in a statement on Sunday. 


Pakistan braces for more rains as monsoon death toll rises to 216

Updated 43 min 10 sec ago
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Pakistan braces for more rains as monsoon death toll rises to 216

  • Pakistan’s Met Office has warned that monsoon currents are likely to “intensify” across country from July 20
  • Punjab has reported highest number of deaths since June 26, 135, followed by 42 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities braced for more rainfall on Monday as the death toll from rain-related incidents in the country since late June rose to 216, according to official data. 

As per the National Disaster Management Authority’s (NDMA) latest situation report, 216 people have been killed in total since June 26 in rain-related incidents across Pakistan. Among the 216 casualties, 101 are children, 75 males and 40 females.

Punjab reported the highest number of deaths, 135, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) with 42, Sindh 21, Balochistan 16 while Azad Kashmir and Islamabad each reported a single death.

“Rain-wind/thundershower is expected in Kashmir, Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, North-East Punjab, Potohar region, Gilgit-Baltistan, North-East/South Balochistan and South Sindh,” the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) wrote on its daily forecast for Monday. 

“Isolated heavy falls are expected in Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Potohar region, Kashmir and adjoining hilly areas during the period,” it added. 

Pakistan’s Met Office warned in a press release on July 18 that monsoon currents penetrating Sindh and upper parts of the country are likely to “intensify” in the upper and central parts of the country from July 20.

Director General PDMA Irfan Ali Kathia on Sunday instructed district administrations to remain on high alert during the fourth spell of monsoon rains, the Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said. 

“There is a risk of urban and flash flooding due to heavy rains,” it added. 

Monsoon season brings South Asia 70 to 80 percent of its annual rainfall, arriving in early June in India and late June in Pakistan, and lasting through until September.

The annual rains are vital for agriculture and food security, and the livelihoods of millions of farmers. But increasingly erratic and extreme weather patterns are turning the rains into a destructive force.

In 2022, record-breaking monsoon rains combined with glacial melt submerged nearly a third of Pakistan, killing more than 1,700 people and displacing over 8 million. In May, at least 32 people were killed in severe storms, including strong hailstorms.
 


Five killed, seven injured in deadly tribal clash in southwestern Pakistan

Updated 21 July 2025
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Five killed, seven injured in deadly tribal clash in southwestern Pakistan

  • Clash broke out among Achakzai, Kakar tribes in Killa Abdulah district over an old dispute, says official
  • Says both rival parties agreed to a ceasefire brokered by Levies, FC Balochistan and tribal elders

QUETTA: Five people were killed while seven others were injured in Pakistan’s southwestern Killa Abdullah district on Sunday after an armed clash between two tribes, a senior official said. 

The clash broke out on Sunday evening between members of the ethnic Pashtun tribes of Achakzai and Kakar, lasting for several hours before tribal elders, the paramilitary Levies force and Frontier Corps (FC) Balochistan brokered a ceasefire between them.

“Five people have been killed and seven injured in the latest clashes that erupted between Achakzai and Kakar tribesmen in Killa Abdullah district,” Shahzaib Kakar, commissioner of Quetta Division, told Arab News on Sunday. 

He said members of both tribes were involved in “an old tribal dispute,” adding that both sides agreed to a ceasefire after security forces arrived in the area. 

Hayat Achakzai, a local journalist based in Killa Abdullah district, said clashes broke out at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday when members of both tribes came face to face at the district’s Tot Adda area.

“Both tribes were engaged in a dispute since March 2025 following a motorbike snatching,” Achakzai said. “They were chasing each other for the last two weeks but today met with an armed clash.”

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by land mass but its most backward one by almost all social and economic indicators, has a strong tribal system with powerful chieftains. 

Disputes between rival tribes over honor, land and decades-old feuds are common here, often resulting in armed clashes. 

Ethnic Baloch militant groups have launched a low-level insurgency against the state for years in Balochistan, accusing Islamabad of exploiting the province’s mineral resources and denying locals a share in it.

The government denies the allegations and points to health, development and educational projects that it says have been launched to empower the people of Balochistan. 


Pakistani woman artists connect via WhatsApp after actor’s death spotlights growing urban isolation

Updated 21 July 2025
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Pakistani woman artists connect via WhatsApp after actor’s death spotlights growing urban isolation

  • Humaira Asghar, 42, was found dead at her rented flat in Karachi on July 18, at least nine months after her passing
  • Yashma Gill, one of the WhatsApp group admins, says human connection is very important amid growing urban isolation

ISLAMABAD: Women in Pakistan’s entertainment industry have come closer and created a WhatsApp group to check in on each other and ensure immediate help to anyone going through difficult times, following this month’s shocking death of Humaira Asghar.

The 42-year-old, originally from Lahore, was found dead at her rented flat in Karachi on July 18, at least nine months after her passing. Pakistani police have said medico-legal authorities found no traces of toxins in her body.

The case stirred a debate in Pakistan about the silent toll of urban isolation, especially in large cities like Karachi, where rapid expansion, changing family structures and weakening community bonds are quietly reshaping how people live — and die.

Hundreds of Pakistani women, including actors, directors, producers and makeup artists, have joined the WhatsApp group, ‘Connectivity 101,’ after the idea was proposed by Zhalay Sarhadi, Yashma Gill, Sonia Hussain, Mansha Pasha and others.

“The core purpose of Connectivity 101 is to create networking through a platform, connectivity through a platform, through which people can talk about their problems... people can inquire about well-being and keep a check on each other,” Gill said in an interview, adding it came into existence after the tragic passing of Asghar.

Asghar’s death came weeks after renowned actor Ayesha Khan was found dead in her apartment in Karachi’s Gulshan-e-Iqbal area, according to police. Her neighbors had reported a foul smell emitting out of her apartment that led to the discovery of the 84-year-old’s body.

Gill, one of the Connectivity 101 admins, said the initiative was taken after it was realized that people working in the industry, especially women, are usually not able to stay in touch with their families, friends and even colleagues due to their busy schedules.

“This connection is very important not just to celebrate good times, but also to support each other in hard times,” she said.

Nearly 44 percent of Pakistanis now live in urban areas, up from 35 percent in 2010, according to World Bank estimates. Mental health experts have warned that loneliness isn’t just a social issue but a serious health risk.

Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Afridi, a Karachi-based psychiatrist, last week cited World Health Organization (WHO) findings that over 870,000 people died globally in 2024 due to conditions linked to extreme isolation.

“In fact, loneliness has been found to be more painful and damaging than conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure,” he said. “It has also been observed that people who get disconnected from their friends, family and social circles often develop several diseases along with physical, psychological and social issues.”

Gill shared that they have introduced a poll system in the group through which members can mark their presence or inform that they will not be available for a few days.

She said only women from the industry are added to the group through trusted references, with a few protocols set for everyone. She said group members are even urged to exercise “extreme caution” while communicating with each other so that everyone benefits and no negative situation arises.

“I am pro-friendships, people should become friends. But these are celebrities and girls that we are talking about, so things should be taken care of,” she added.


Pakistan voice disappointment after ‘World Championship of Legends’ match against India called off

Updated 20 July 2025
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Pakistan voice disappointment after ‘World Championship of Legends’ match against India called off

  • WCL features retired, non-contracted players from India, Pakistan, England and other nations
  • The match was called off after India’s Shikhar Dhawan withdrew from fixtures against Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani veteran cricket stars on Sunday voiced their disappointment after their match against India, part of the “World Championship of Legends (WCL)” tournament, was called off on Sunday, with Indian players withdrawing because of political tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi.

Sporting ties between arch-rivals India and Pakistan have remained limited due to years of political tensions, which heightened after the two countries engaged in a four-day military standoff over an attack in the disputed Kashmir region before a ceasefire was reached on May 10.

The WCL is a T20 tournament approved by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) held in England every year. The tournament features retired and non-contracted players from cricketing giants, including England, India, Pakistan, Australia, West Indies and South Africa.

“On behalf of Pakistan Champions, we express our deep disappointment over WCL’s decision to call off the match against India,” Pakistan Champions owner Kamil Khan said in a statement.

“This decision not only undermines the spirit of the game but has let down cricket fans across the globe.”

In a statement released on its social media accounts, the WCL said it had decided to call off the India-Pakistan match in Birmingham and apologized again for “hurting the sentiments” of Indian fans.

The league’s owners include its founder, Indian entrepreneur Harshit Tomar and Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn.

The WCL statement came hours after Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan wrote on X that he was withdrawing from India’s WCL matches with Pakistan.

“We believe cricket should rise above and transcend political differences,” Khan said.