Would consider de-escalation if India stops attack: Pak foreign minister

Lahore/Islamabad: Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday said Islamabad will consider de-escalation if India stops further attacks, but added that its military is operating on the defensive and taking minimum action.

Dar's statement, echoed by another federal minister, came as the Indian and Pakistani militaries targeted each other's installations using missiles in the last more than 12 hours, further escalating the already tense conflict situation.

“Pakistan will consider de-escalation if India stops further attacks. However, if India launches any further strikes our response will follow,” Dar said.

Stating that Pakistan is operating on the defensive, he said: “The action that the Pakistan civil military leadership has taken is proportionate. Many more actions can be taken, and we are ready for that, but this is the minimum action being taken just now, which will be continued for a while.”

“The tamasha (circus) that India has staged over the last three days... we have no choice but to retaliate to India’s military actions,” Dar told Geo News and added that Pakistan will “not let India claim hegemony.” “This operation that we started today will all end in some way. It all depends on what India wants,” he reiterated.

Meanwhile, Information Minister Atta Tarar also said de-escalation is in the hands of India. “It is in the hands of India... If India de-escalates (we will follow),” Tarar told BBC when asked if Pakistan will de-escalate.

Tarar said Pakistani troops are deployed at borders in response to India's action.

Dar, who is also the deputy prime minister, said, “Pakistan had no choice, so our civil military leadership made the decision following the attack on Nur Khan Air Base. No more patience. We are just giving them a response.” Tensions between India and Pakistan increased after the Indian armed forces on Wednesday conducted precision strikes targeting terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack that had cross-border linkages.

Pakistan launched a fresh wave of drone attacks targeting 26 locations in India -- from Jammu and Kashmir to Gujarat -- for the second night on Friday, with the Indian defence ministry saying the enemy's attempts to hit vital installations, including airports and air bases, were successfully thwarted.

Early Saturday, Islamabad claimed that its three air bases were targeted by Indian missiles and drones.

India responded on Saturday to the Pakistani military's “provocative” and “escalatory” actions in a measured way and Islamabad is resorting to a wanton campaign of targeting innocent people and civilian infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said in New Delhi.