Gripped by war hysteria, India begins evacuating villages near border

Islamabad (Web Desk): Following the Pahalgam attack, India—-gripped by war hysteria, has begun evacuating villages near the Pakistan-India border.

According to sources, Indian forces have evacuated more villages in the Samba, Kathua, and Akhnoor sectors.

Earlier, in the Attari sector, India made announcements from a ‘Gurdwara’ instructing locals to harvest their crops, they said.

They said India has not only blocked hundreds of Pakistani channels to keep its public in darkness and to spread toxic Hindutva propaganda but also blamed Pakistan for the Pahalgam false flag attack without providing any evidence.

A large segment of the Indian public is disillusioned with the Modi government’s irrational actions and extremism, defense analysts observed.

They said starting a war frenzy without evidence is a clear sign of the Modi government’s failure.

On Tuesday night, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar stated late Tuesday that Pakistan has received credible intelligence indicating that India is planning a military strike against Pakistan within the next 24 to 36 hours.

Earlier today, timely and swift response by Pakistan Air Force (PAF) forced four Indian Rafale jets patrolling near Line of Control (LoC) to retreat.

According to security sources, on the night of April 29/30, four Indian Rafale jets conducted patrolling within Indian geographical boundaries over Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). However, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) immediately detected the Indian fighter jets, they said.

They added that Indian jets became flustered and retreated owing to the timely and prompt action by the PAF.

“The Pakistani armed forces remain fully prepared and alert to give a befitting response to any aggression from India,” the security sources said.

Today’s incident also comes after the Pakistan Army yesterday shot down two Indian quadcopters after they violated the country’s airspace along the Line of Control (LoC) in two separate areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), official sources said.

The first drone was brought down in the Manawar sector of Bhimber district, where it was reportedly engaged in aerial surveillance when intercepted and destroyed by Pakistani troops. The second unmanned aerial vehicle was shot down in Poonch division’s Satwal sector.

The downing of the drones occurred amid continued exchange of fire along the LoC in Leepa Valley since the night of April 25, breaking a period of relative calm in the region. No casualties were immediately reported.

A deadly attack in Pahalgam, located in IIOJK, has sharply escalated tensions between South Asia’s two nuclear-armed neighbours.

The attack, which took place on April 22, resulted in the deaths of 26 individuals, most of whom were tourists. It stands as one of the most lethal incidents in the region in over two decades.

On April 23, India announced on April 23 the unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT)—a landmark water-sharing accord mediated by the World Bank in 1960.

Despite enduring multiple wars and diplomatic crises, the treaty has remained a rare symbol of cooperation between the two nations.

In retaliation, Pakistan declared on April 24 its intention to consider suspending the Simla Agreement of 1972, a foundational framework for bilateral relations, and warned of the potential closure of its airspace to Indian aircraft.

While Indian authorities hinted at possible cross-border involvement in orchestrating the Pahalgam attack, no definitive evidence has been released to support such claims.

Pakistan, for its part, categorically denied any involvement and has called for an independent international inquiry to ascertain the facts surrounding the incident.

On April 26, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, while reiterating Pakistan’s strong condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, said that Pakistan as a responsible country is open to participate ‘in any neutral, transparent and credible investigation’ into Pahalgam incident.

However, he expressed regret over the conduct of Pakistan’s eastern neighbour, accusing it of a continued pattern of exploitation and baseless accusations without credible evidence or transparent investigations.

Stressing that while Pakistan prefers peace, this inclination should never be mistaken for weakness, the prime minister made it clear that the nation will never compromise on its dignity or national security.