Latest news with #India-administered
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
India confirms it lost fighter jets in recent Pakistan conflict
Indian security force personnel stand guard near the site of a fighter jet crash in Wuyan in India-administered Kashmir's Pulwama district on May 7. PHOTO: REUTERS India's military confirmed for the first time that it lost an unspecified number of fighter jets in clashes with Pakistan in May, while saying the four-day conflict never came close to the point of nuclear war. 'What is important is that, not the jet being down, but why they were being down,' General Anil Chauhan, chief of defence staff of the Indian Armed Forces, said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on May 31, while attending the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. He called Pakistan's claims that it shot down six Indian warplanes 'absolutely incorrect', though declined to specify how many jets India lost. 'Why they were down, what mistakes were made – that are important,' Gen Chauhan said when asked about the fighter jets. 'Numbers are not important,' he added. 'The good part is that we are able to understand the tactical mistake which we made, remedy it, rectify it, and then implement it again after two days and fly all our jets again, targeting at long range,' Gen Chauhan said. The comments are the most direct yet from an Indian government or military official on the fate of the country's fighter jets during the conflict with Pakistan that erupted on May 7. Earlier in May, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said his country shot down six Indian fighter jets, an assertion that has not been independently verified. India's government had earlier refrained from commenting on whether it lost aircraft in the fighting. The clash was the worst between the nuclear-armed neighbours in half a century, with both sides trading air, drone and missile strikes, as well as artillery and small arms fire along their shared border. It was triggered by a gruesome attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir on April 22, which saw gunmen kill 26 civilians in what India called an act of terrorism orchestrated by Pakistan. Leaders in Islamabad denied involvement. Gen Chauhan declined to comment on President Donald Trump's claim that the US helped to avert a nuclear war, but said it was 'far-fetched' to suggest either side was close to using atomic weapons. 'I personally feel that there is a lot of space between conduct of conventional operations and the nuclear threshold,' Gen Chauhan said. Channels of communication with Pakistan 'were always open' to control the situation, he added, noting that on the escalation ladder there were 'more sub-ladders which can be exploited for settling out our issues' without needing to resort to nuclear weapons. Gen Chauhan also downplayed Pakistan's claims about the effectiveness of weaponry deployed from China and other countries, saying they 'didn't work'. A research group under India's Defence Ministry said in May that China provided Pakistan with air defence and satellite support during its clash with India. 'We were able to do precision strikes on heavily air-defended airfields of Pakistan deep 300 kilometers inside, with the precision of a metre,' the Indian military chief said. India and Pakistan have sent delegations to global capitals to influence international perception of the conflict. Gen Chauhan said the cessation of hostilities is holding, and will depend on Pakistan's actions in the future. 'We have laid clear red lines,' he said. BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Nikkei Asia
5 days ago
- Politics
- Nikkei Asia
India's unilateral halt to water treaty: 4 options Pakistan can take
ISLAMABAD -- After military clashes between India and Pakistan broke out earlier this month -- at more than three days' duration, making them the most inflamed between the two countries in decades -- a ceasefire was agreed on May 10. But the bilateral water-sharing Indus Waters Treaty remains in abeyance, as India unilaterally suspended it on April 23, a day after a deadly attack killed 26 civilians in the India-administered part of Kashmir. In response, the Pakistan government said, "Any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan as per the Indus Waters Treaty and the usurpation of the rights of lower riparian will be considered as an Act of War." But the unilateral suspension of the treaty has not been rolled back by New Delhi, posing a significant economic threat to Pakistan's economy, as about 80% of its irrigated agriculture and hydropower generation rely on the Indus water system.
DW
7 days ago
- Politics
- DW
India goes on diplomatic offensive after Kashmir attack – DW – 05/26/2025
New Delhi has sent delegations to dozens of countries to bolster international support for a "zero tolerance" policy on terrorism that India says originates in Pakistan. India last week sent parliamentary delegations to 33 countries on a diplomatic mission to drum up support for countering Pakistan-based militant groups Delhi says are behind cross-border attacks. Tensions between India and Pakistan remain high following the killing of Hindu tourists in India-administered Kashmir on April 22. The attack killed 26 people, causing outrage in India. Indian officials have said the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) Islamist militant group was behind the attack. On May 7, the military launched strikes, dubbed "Operation Sindoor," targeting what New Delhi said was terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Pakistan responded with its own strikes, and four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes followed, until both sides agreed to a ceasefire on May 10. India's global diplomatic offensive In the wake of the attack and the resulting hostilities, both India and Pakistan have tried to shape the narrative on the conflict. India's Foreign Ministry presents information on military strikes on Pakistan on May 7 Image: Priyanshu Singh/REUTERS The Indian delegations, which included several political parties, were equipped with country-specific dossiers detailing Pakistan's alleged history of fostering terrorism, India's "zero-tolerance" policy on terror, and evidence linking the April attack to Pakistan-based groups. "This is a political mission. We want to make a strong outreach to the world, to convey our resolve to fight terrorism," said Randhir Jaiswal, official spokesperson of India's Ministry of External Affairs. "We want to exhort the world to hold those responsible for cross border terrorism accountable, those who have been practicing this for forty years against India — that is Pakistan — their actions need to be called out,' added Jaiswal. Kashmir: The Pakistani militant groups India is targeting To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Pakistan's government strongly denies providing support for militant groups and maintains it had nothing to do with the April attack. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called India's strikes "unprovoked" and an "act of aggression." Its Defense Ministry has said the Indian strikes hit civilian locations and denied that India had targeted terrorist camps. Islamabad, too, has carried out its own diplomatic outreach, led by Pakistan People's Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. This delegation, although involving fewer delegates than India's, is similarly aimed at engaging key international stakeholders, including members of the UN Security Council. The aim is to present Pakistan's case for its own security, focusing on issues such as alleged ceasefire violations by India, threats by India to cut off the Indus River's water supply, and Pakistan's position on the Kashmir dispute. On Sunday, Sharif visited Pakistani ally Turkey as part of a five-day diplomatic tour. India seeks support for its 'war on terror' Policy experts and diplomats who spoke to DW said India's diplomatic offensive is a key element in its effort to present the strikes on Pakistan as a legitimate act of self-defense under international law. "The inclusion of opposition MPs signals unity, lending credibility to India's position and appealing to democracies valuing bipartisan consensus," Anil Wadhwa, a former Indian diplomat, told DW. Wadhwa added that the delegations "will counter the false narrative of Pakistan" rejecting involvement in the Kashmir attack. "While the government has put forward its case forcefully and the domestic constituency does not need convincing, there could be some lingering doubts in the minds of international interlocutors because of the false narrative put out by Pakistan. This will be overcome by these efforts," added Wadhwa. Kashmir: An 'underlying issue' in India-Pakistan relations To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video India's global outreach was also highlighted by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's recent visits to the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany. In a meeting with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul last week, Jaishankar reiterated New Delhi's stance on fighting terrorism. "India has zero tolerance for terrorism. India will never give in to nuclear blackmail. India will deal with Pakistan purely bilaterally. There should be no confusion in any quarter," Jaishankar told a joint press conference. India amps up diplomacy India has a precedent of sending parliamentary delegations abroad to build diplomatic support and articulate its foreign policy positions, especially during or after major crises involving Pakistan. For example, after the attack on the Indian parliament in December 2001, former Prime Minister Vajpayee's government had sent multi-party delegations to brief world leaders about the alleged role of Pakistan-based militant groups in carrying out the attack. However, the current delegation stands out for its scope and scale compared to previous instances. "It is happening in a geopolitical landscape where India is a major G20 economy, a Quad member, and a key player in global forums. The Pakistani mission is not a match in terms of the scale and the breadth," added Wadhwa. Ajay Bisaria, a former high commissioner of India to Pakistan, told DW that India's narrative "will resonate more globally with partners and multilateral organizations." Bisaria said India's delegations also represent a strong national consensus and give India the opportunity to build international support in what should be a renewed global war against terrorism. "It is crucial for India to bolster its global diplomacy, leveraging innovative approaches like parliamentary delegations to counter the Pakistan army's forced narrative and showcase India's measured responses to security challenges," he added. Kashmiris struggle to make their voices heard To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Edited by: Wesley Rahn
Miami Herald
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
India, Pakistan battle for global sympathy after border truce
Two weeks after pulling back from the brink of all-out war, India and Pakistan are now racing to win over global opinion. Both sides are sending delegations to global capitals to influence international perception of the conflict, as tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals continue to simmer. New Delhi this week dispatched seven teams of diplomats and lawmakers to capitals of some 30 countries, including in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and South America as part of its publicity campaign. The delegates have been told to detail Islamabad's history of supporting militants, and its alleged involvement in the deadly April 22 attacks in the India-administered part of Kashmir, which triggered the latest conflict. India is also pushing back against the perception - reinforced by U.S. President Donald Trump's social media posts - that the two sides were equals in their dispute over the territory of Kashmir, and that they had agreed to mediated peace talks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday ruled out talks with Pakistan and vowed military action if faced with further terrorist attacks. Separately, India's foreign minister told Dutch broadcaster NOS that the May 10 truce was negotiated directly between India and Pakistan, refuting Trump's claim of brokering the ceasefire. 'For many Indians, Trump's messaging on mediation amounts to drawing a false equivalence by treating India and Pakistan the same,' said Michael Kugelman, a South Asia analyst based in Washington. 'This is a major setback for New Delhi, given that it amounts to a victory for Islamabad in the battle of narratives that has endured even after the fighting stopped.' Pakistan is also planning its own diplomatic initiative, though on a much smaller scale. Its government has said it's sending seven officials to three European capitals and the U.S. to make the case that it, not India, is the victim. The dueling efforts are playing out almost two weeks after both countries agreed to a ceasefire, following days of intense drone and air strikes and artillery and small arms exchanges between the two nations. The fighting touched off after India blamed Pakistan for what it called a terrorist attack that killed 26 civilians, mostly Indian tourists. Pakistan denied responsibility. Trump's attempt to take credit for the ceasefire has frustrated Indian officials, as have his assertions that trade was used as a bargaining chip to negotiate the truce. New Delhi has denied those claims as well as a statement by Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the two sides agreed to begin talks on a broad set of issues at 'a neutral site.' In their diplomatic outreach, a main focus of the message from Indian officials will be Pakistan's alleged links to terrorism and its purported involvement in the April 22 attack on civilians, said Rajeev Kumar Rai, a member of parliament who is part of a delegation visiting Spain, Greece, Slovenia and Russia. The teams will specifically raise Pakistan's alleged support for U.N.-designated terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, according to officials familiar with the outreach, who asked not to be identified because the discussions were private. They will also inform foreign officials that India remains resolved to respond to future violence in a manner it deems fit, they said. India's Ministry of External Affairs didn't immediately respond to an email seeking further information. Of the nations on India's list to visit, roughly a third are members of the Organization of Islamic Countries, a multilateral body that claims to speak for the Muslim world. Pakistan is also a member of that group, and has lobbied it for greater intervention in the Kashmir conflict. New Delhi also aims to target Pakistan's economy, which is only beginning to recover from a prolonged crisis. India plans to urge the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force to take renewed action against Pakistan, a government official said on Friday in New Delhi. The anti-money laundering watchdog removed Pakistan from its terror-financing list in 2022, easing its access to trade and investments. India wants Pakistan returned to the gray list, the official said. For its part, Pakistan has said the goal of its outreach is to highlight what it says are its 'consistent and constructive efforts to ensure peace and stability in the region,' according to the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan. It said its officials will 'expose India's propaganda campaigns.' The Pakistan officials will also bring up India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty - a critical water-sharing pact - that can have serious long-term consequences for Pakistan. 'Breaking the treaty at will is irresponsible behavior,' said Khurram Dastgir Khan, who is part of Pakistan's delegation. 'If the water issue is not solved, then we are looking at another war in six to ten years,' he said. New Delhi suspended the treaty, which governs the distribution of waters from six rivers flowing from the Himalayas, after the Kashmir attacks. 'President Trump has demonstrated more openness to working with Pakistan than we saw under President Biden, so this moment does represent a meaningful opportunity for Pakistan to reassert its relevance in Washington,' said Elizabeth Threlkeld, senior fellow and director of South Asia at the Stimson Center in Washington. For India, the diplomatic effort is complicated by the fact that it continues to press ahead with trade talks with the U.S., which it hopes will remove Trump's so-called reciprocal tariffs on the South Asian country's exports. 'The challenge for policymakers in the U.S. and New Delhi will be to navigate sensitivities over U.S. mediation while continuing to make progress in other areas of the relationship, including trade and defense,' Threlkeld said. --- (With assistance from Khalid Qayum, Faseeh Mangi, Ruchi Bhatia and Sanjit Das.) Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Straits Times
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
The US defused an India-Pakistan war. Can China do the same?
Indian army soldiers stand guard near the Line of Control between Pakistan and India in the Jammu region on May 20. PHOTO: AFP For four days, earlier in May , South Asia teetered dangerously on the brink of all-out war after a terrorist attack in India-administered Kashmir reignited decades-old animosity between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan. Tit-for-tat clashes involving drones, missiles and fighter jets came to a halt after a surprise intervention by US President Donald Trump. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
