In a significant statement following India’s precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif indicated a potential shift towards easing rising tensions, provided India steps back from further escalation.
The Indian military on Wednesday launched coordinated strikes on nine identified terror camps across the border, targeting sites in Bahawalpur, Muridke, Sialkot, and multiple locations in PoK. These actions were taken in response to the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which claimed 26 lives, including civilians and security personnel.
Speaking to Bloomberg Television, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif emphasized that Pakistan does not intend to initiate conflict. “We have been saying all along in the last fortnight that we’ll never initiate anything hostile towards India. But if we're attacked, we'll respond,” he reportedly said, adding, “If India backs down, we will definitely wrap up this tension.”
Asif’s statement came amid heightened regional anxiety, with global powers watching developments closely. While there is currently no indication of formal diplomatic engagement between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, the minister's remarks could be read as an opening for dialogue—contingent on de-escalation from New Delhi’s end.
India’s Operation Sindoor has been described as a targeted, strategic effort to dismantle terror launchpads used by groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen. The Indian government has emphasized that no civilian infrastructure was targeted in the operation.
