Pakistan has shut down schools and declared a state of emergency in Punjab, the country’s most populous province, after Indian airstrikes targeted multiple locations inside Pakistani territory. The strikes followed a deadly militant attack in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.
Authorities in Punjab, home to nearly 130 million people, said emergency services have been placed on high alert. Hospitals, rescue teams, and medical staff across the province have been instructed to prepare for further casualties as tensions mount.
In response to the Indian strikes, Pakistan’s military said it had carried out retaliatory attacks on military installations in Indian-administered Kashmir.
“We have hit at least 12 targets in the Kashmir region,” a Pakistani intelligence official stated, warning that further escalation is likely.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif convened an emergency meeting of the national security cabinet to assess the rapidly developing situation.
In a major disruption to civilian movement, Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority announced the closure of the country’s airspace for 48 hours.
All flight operations at Islamabad and Lahore airports had been suspended indefinitely.
dpa/NAN)
