Pakistan carries out second missile test following recent tense relations with India.
Tit-for-tat tension between India and Pakistan escalates over Kashmir, with Iran stepping up as mediator.
India fingered Pakistan for backing a lethal assault on tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir last month, resulting in a barrage of heated threats and tit-for-tat diplomatic moves. As tension rises, Iran has offered to act as a go-between for the two nuclear-armed neighbors, marking a noteworthy diplomatic push.
The missile testing by the Pakistan military happens in the midst of these developments. Reports state that they tested a surface-to-surface missile with a range of 120 kilometers, aiming to maintain troop readiness and verify technical specifications like the missile's advanced navigation system and heightened precision. Notably, the location of these tests remains undisclosed.
This isn't the first missile test by Pakistan—just a few days prior, they tested a surface-to-surface missile with a range of 450 kilometers.
Meanwhile, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed satisfaction with the military's readiness for national defense in the face of this escalating conflict.
Going Beyond Words
The Muslim-majority Kashmir region, home to about 15 million residents, is divided between Pakistan and India but is claimed wholly by both sides. The brutal attack on April 22, in Pahalgam, claimed 26 lives, predominantly Indian tourists. While no group has taken responsibility, rebels have been waging insurgency in the Muslim-majority region since 1989.
Pakistan denies any involvement in the attack, requesting an independent investigation. In response, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi deployed the military with complete operational freedom to counter any aggression. Pakistan has responded that they'll respond forcefully to any hostility.
International pressure, including pleas from US Vice President JD Vance and Russia, has fallen on both nations to de-escalate tensions. Vance urged India to react to the attack without triggering a regional conflict, while also calling on Pakistan to tackle terrorists operating on its soil.
The situation along the militarized Line of Control, the de facto border, has remained volatile, with nightly gunfire exchanged for over a week. A massive manhunt continues in Indian-run Kashmir for the gunmen, while residents near the border are either moving away or reinforcing bunkers in fear of conflict. In contrast, Pakistan has conducted emergency drills on playing fields, advised residents to stock up on food and medicine, and closed religious schools.
Sharif has postponed an official visit to Malaysia scheduled for Friday.
- Russia, along with other international voices, has called for both India and Pakistan to de-escalate the escalating tension over Kashmir, urging Pakistan to address terrorists operating within its borders and advising India to respond to the attack without causing a wider regional conflict.
- As the tit-for-tat diplomatic moves between India and Pakistan continue, with Iran acting as a go-between, it's notable that while tensions rise, Malaysia has postponed Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's official visit, potentially highlighting concerns over the international politics and war-and-conflicts currently unfolding.
- The missile testing by Pakistan, apparent conjuncture for general news headlines, showcases a focus on maintaining troop readiness and upgrading missile technology, potentially placing pressure on neighboring countries such as India and Russia to counter any threats, exacerbating the tensions further in the prevailing war-and-conflicts landscape.
