PAKISTAN Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif early on Wednesday termed the Indian missile strikes on terror targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Punjab province as an “act of war” and said his country has every right to give a “befitting reply.” Army spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry in a media interaction said at least 26 people were killed and 46 injured in the missile strikes on cities in Punjab and PoK. “The six locations that India attacked last night. Pakistan lost 26 people and 46 were injured,” he said. He said that 13 people were killed in Bahwalpur’s area of Ahmedpur East where Subhan mosque was attacked. Two girls, seven women and four men while another 37 were injured, including 28 men and nine women.

 

He said that in the attack in Muzaffarabad, the Bilal mosque was targeted, three persons were killed, two injured, including a girl and a boy. In the strike at Kotli where Abbat mosque was targeted, a 16-year-old girl and 18-year-old boy were killed, while two persons were injured. He said that in the Muridke attack where Umalkura mosque was targeted, three men were killed and one was injured. There was no loss of life in attacks at locations in Sialkot and Shakargarh area. The spokesperson also said that five civilians were killed in cross LoC firing by India. “At no point Indian aircraft was allowed to enter Pakistan and no Pakistani aircraft entered India. All PAF assets are safe,” he said. Ready to ‘wrap’ tensions: Pak Defence Minister: Pakistan is ready to “wrap up” tensions with India, if New Delhi de-escalates the situation, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Wednesday.

 

His remarks came hours after India carried out a military strike on terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Asif was reported as saying by Bloomberg Television that Pakistan will only respond if attacked. “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. If India backs down, we will definitely wrap up this tension,” he said. Regarding the possibility of talks, the minister said he was not aware of any such potential engagements. Indian Armed Forces early Wednesday carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack.