ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, has spoken with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and discussed with him escalating regional tensions, the Pakistani foreign ministry said on Saturday, following Pakistan’s retaliation to Indian military strikes on three of its air bases.
Pakistan said India conducted drone strikes on its Nur Khan, Murid and Shorkot air bases early Saturday, adding that most of them were intercepted by the country’s air defense systems.
India said Pakistan had overnight launched several high-speed missiles targeting multiple air bases and civilian infrastructure in the northern Indian state of Punjab and Indian-administered Kashmir.
The situation has alarmed world powers and friendly countries that the hostilities, sparked by a massacre in Indian-administered Kashmir, may lead to a full-blown war, if not intervened.
“Dar today spoke with the Foreign Minister of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, HH Faisal bin Farhan. The DPM/FM apprised him on the current situation in the region following last night’s Indian attacks and Pakistan’s subsequent response,” the Pakistani foreign ministry said.
“Both leaders agreed to maintain close contact.”
Tensions between the two neighbors escalated after India on Wednesday conducted missile strikes deep inside Pakistan, which officials said killed 31 civilians in multiple cities.
Drone and missile incursions and munition fire between the two sides have since killed around 20 more people, mostly on the Indian side, sparking diplomatic calls for restraint.
“Saudi FM expressed condolences over the loss of innocent lives and appreciated Pakistan’s measured and restrained response,” Islamabad’s foreign ministry said.
The statement came a day after Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir’s daylong visit to Pakistan, which followed his surprise stop in New Delhi for talks with Indian officials.
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan share close diplomatic and strategic relations. The Kingdom has extended significant support to Pakistan during prolonged economic challenges faced by Islamabad in recent years, including external financing and assistance with International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan programs.
Saudi Arabia has also contributed to global peacemaking efforts by hosting talks and mediating prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine.
New Delhi has accused Pakistan of backing the April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 tourists. Islamabad denies it and has offered to participate in a credible, international probe.
Pakistan and India have fought multiple wars, including two of them over the disputed region of Kashmir, since their independence from British rule in 1947. Both rule the region in part but claim it in full.
New Delhi routinely accuses Pakistan of supporting armed separatist militants in Kashmir. Islamabad denies the allegations and says it supports the Kashmiri people diplomatically and politically.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia discuss regional tensions after Indian strikes, Islamabad’s response
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Pakistan, Saudi Arabia discuss regional tensions after Indian strikes, Islamabad’s response
- The ongoing conflict between Pakistan and India has alarmed world powers and friendly nations
- There have been fears that the hostilities may turn into a full-blown war, if not intervened timely
Death toll in Pakistan wedding suicide blast rises to six
- Attack targeted members of local peace committee in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan
- Peace committees are community-based groups that report militant activity to security forces
PESHAWAR: The death toll from a suicide bombing at a wedding ceremony in northwestern Pakistan rose to six, police said on Saturday, after funeral prayers were held for those killed in the attack a day earlier.
The bomber detonated explosives during a wedding gathering in the Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, injuring more than a dozen, some of them critically.
“The death toll has surged to six,” said Nawab Khan, Superintendent of Police for Saddar Dera Ismail Khan. “Police have completed the formalities and registered the case against unidentified attackers.”
“It was a suicide attack and the Counter Terrorism Department will further investigate the case,” he continued, adding that security had been stepped up across the district to prevent further incidents.
No militant group has claimed responsibility for the blast so far.
Khan cautioned against speculation, citing ongoing militancy in the area, and said the investigation was being treated with “utmost seriousness.”
The explosion targeted the home of a member of a local peace committee, which is part of community-based groups that cooperate with security forces and whose members have frequently been targeted by militants in the past.
Some media reports also cited a death toll of seven, quoting police authorities.
Emergency officials said several of the wounded were taken to hospital soon after the blast.
Militant attacks have intensified in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since the Taliban returned to power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021, with Islamabad accusing Afghan authorities of “facilitating” cross-border assaults, a charge Kabul denies.
