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Pakistan Mourns 31 Civilian Deaths, Accuses India of "Terrorism" Amid LoC Escalation
Pakistan mourns 31 civilians martyred in Indian strikes; calls it "state terrorism" as tensions escalate along LoC. Trump, Erdogan, and UN call for restraint.
ND
by News Desk
2025-05-08
Pakistan Mourns 31 Civilian Deaths, Accuses India of

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday strongly condemned the killing of 31 civilians in what it called deliberate and unlawful strikes by Indian forces, labelling New Delhi’s actions as “state terrorism.” While India claimed it targeted terror infrastructure, Pakistan said it targeted mosques, homes, and civilians — breaching ceasefire protocols and humanitarian law.

The Line of Control (LoC) and several cities across Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) — including Ahmedpur East, Muridke, Muzaffarabad, Kotli, and Shakkargarh — were hit in the strikes. At least 57 people were injured, and key civilian infrastructure, including the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project intake system, was damaged.

The spokesperson for Pakistan’s armed forces, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, stated that attacks on critical civilian infrastructure like water installations are violations of the Geneva Conventions. He confirmed that Pakistan responded by downing five Indian jets, including three Rafale aircraft, though India only acknowledged three “crashes.”

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed ongoing communication between the national security advisers (NSAs) of both countries. He said Lt Gen Asim Malik, Pakistan’s newly appointed NSA, had contacted India’s NSA Ajit Doval. This came amid US President Donald Trump’s call for peace: “If I can do anything to help, I will. I want to see it stop,” he said from the White House.

International concern grew as images of wreckage and casualties spread. A mosque in Muzaffarabad’s Shawai area, where three people including an 80-year-old imam were killed, became the site of high-level military visits and was inspected by United Nations Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP). The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan phoned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, expressing solidarity and support for Pakistan’s “calm and restrained” response.

In Indian-occupied Kashmir, local sources told Reuters that three Indian fighter jets crashed in separate incidents, and their pilots were hospitalized. Although India has not confirmed that the crashes were caused by Pakistani action, images of aircraft wreckage circulated widely on Indian and international media.

As part of emergency response, the AJK government activated a Central Emergency Response Centre and closed all schools and institutions. Meanwhile, India held a nationwide security meeting chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah to prepare for further escalations, placing disaster response and border security forces on high alert.

The United Nations, through spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay, reiterated its call for “maximum restraint” and confirmed the safety of its observer personnel stationed along the LoC.

The situation remains volatile as the region braces for possible further escalations. However, diplomatic backchannels remain functional and are seen as a potential pathway to de-escalation in one of the world’s most dangerous nuclear flashpoints.
Tagged:

PakistanArmy

IndiaPakistan

LoCClash

CeasefireViolation
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