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BBC News
09-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
India-Pakistan conflict: 'We need to stand united'
Community leaders have called for people to stand united as tensions escalate between India and Pakistan following reported military strikes between the two Wednesday, Indian forces launched "Operation Sindoor" targeting sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, in retaliation for a deadly militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed at least 26 people on 22 April. Pakistan denies involvement, but Indian authorities allege attackers included Pakistani the west of England, the impact of the conflict is reverberating on families who are fielding anxious WhatsApp calls. Local leaders are also stepping forward to offer guidance and solidarity. There is growing concern, not only for relatives overseas, but also over the risk of tensions disrupting the unity between communities in the Green Party councillor Abdul Malik, who recently returned from his ancestral village in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, said the escalation tension has "caused a lot of grief". After Wednesday's strikes in Pakistan, a gathering was held at Easton's Jamia Mosque. "It's so important to give a sense of security to the elders who've lived most of their lives in the UK but still feel so connected to what happens abroad," said Mr Malik."This isn't a war about religion. This is a political war about borders. We must not bring hatred to our streets and our homes."Bristol has a wonderful Indian and Pakistani community. We've sat together. We've listened. This is the time to stand united - and that's what we intend to do." "Trying to avoid any conflicts is my main concern," said Pankaj Pandya, one of the trustees of the Hindu Temple in Bristol. "Hopefully it doesn't escalate, and it doesn't become tit-for-tat leading to an outright war between two nuclear nations."Being an Indian myself, it's a concern for not only what is happening between India and Pakistan, but just generally the issues of war throughout the world at the moment." Local leaders in the west of England are also are urging communities not to spread misinformation online. "There's a lot of fake information and false news being spread around which doesn't help the situation," said Atiff Ghafar, vice chair of the Swindon Pakistan Association."So, we have been telling and encouraging our communities not to share unverified news reports."Pakistan says 36 people have been killed by Indian air strikes and firing. India says at least 16 people were killed by Pakistani shelling on its side of the de facto border."As someone from the Pakistani diaspora, it's quite sad to see that there's tensions between both communities and innocent lives have been lost on both sides of the border," said Mr Ghafar."We don't want anything to be spreading across to this part of the world as we have very good cordial and friendly relationships with our Indian diaspora community who have lived with us side by side for a good 50 to 60 years." On 29 April, an interfaith and intercultural meeting was organised in Bristol by the International Human Rights Movement (HRM), Bristol Pakistani Forum and the Bristol Multi-Faith Basharat Ali Khan, chairman of the HRM, said: "It's so horrible to witness something like this in the 21st Century."It is not something we want to witness in this age, while we are fighting for justice."We need to change our priorities - we need to focus and invest on humans rather than defence and we need to come off this war affected mentality." Indian-administered Kashmir has seen a decades-long insurgency which has claimed thousands of is claimed in full by India and Pakistan but administered only in part by each since they were partitioned following independence from Britain in countries have fought two wars over the the 22 April attack in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, a Hindu prayer vigil was held on 27 April at the Hindu Garden of Peace in Gloucester to remember the victims of the deadly to the BBC Radio Gloucestershire at the vigil, Manish Jani said: "It is something horrific against humanity, not just against one country." Hema Patel echoed those emotions: "Many people were killed, including Christians and Muslims. This is not about condemning any religion; we just pray for peace." Dr Ashok and Dr Pravin Patel, co-chairs of the Hindu Cultural Association, both emphasised unity and empathy over division. "The first religion is humanity," said Dr Pravin. "Any heinous act by one human on another is a blot on humanity." The Indian government says its forces have launched "Operation Sindoor", "hitting terrorist infrastructure" in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir "from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed".In a statement, the Indian government said that "nine sites have been targeted"."Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution."The statement adds that the attack was ordered after last month's deadly militant attack on tourists in India-administered Kashmir.
The Independent
08-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Satellite images show impact on mosques and buildings in Pakistan after Indian strikes
Satellite images released on Thursday showed the extent of damage in Pakistan after India launched strikes in one of the worst escalations of military conflict between the two nuclear-armed powers in more than five decades. The comparative satellite images of before and after the strikes released by Maxar Technologies showed damage to mosques and buildings in Pakistan's Punjab province. The pictures showed the impact on the Masjid-e- Markaz Taiba religious school in the industrial town of Muridke in northeastern Punjab, 33km north of Lahore. Damage was also seen in the aerial images from Bahawalpur in southern Punjab where the Jamia Mosque Subhal Allah complex came under attack after the precision strike. The Indian defence ministry on Wednesday said it struck nine terrorists' hideouts in various locations of Pakistan after it blamed two terrorist organisations operating from Islamabad for the deadly attack on tourists in its side of Kashmir on 22 April. India said "no Pakistani military facilities have been targeted" and it only hit sites "from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed". However, Pakistan said 31 civilians, including children, were killed in the strikes that hit six locations, calling it an 'act of war'. At least 15 civilians have been confirmed dead so far in Indian-administered Kashmir in Pakistani firing at the border. The Indian government said the strikes launched under 'Operation Sindoor' were part of a 'commitment' to hold accountable those responsible for the attack on tourists in Pahalgam in which 26 people were killed. In the worst attack on tourists in the India-side of Kashmir, a total of 25 tourists and a Kashmiri man were killed at a tourist hotspot after several militants opened fire. Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif said the strikes were 'unprovoked' and said the heinous act of aggression will not go unpunished". The leader of the country denied involvement in the Pahalgam attack, saying it "wasn't related" to Pakistan, and that his country was "accused for the wrong" reasons. The targets of the nighttime strikes, Indian officials claimed on Tuesday, were nine facilities allegedly linked to proscribed militant groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. The deepest target in Pakistan, the Indian defence ministry said, was Jaish-e-Mohammed headquarters in Bahawalpur which is 100km inside Pakistan. India said it hit a Lashkar-e-Taiba camp in Muzaffarabad, 30km from the India-Pakistan border. While Pakistan has denied claims of India striking terror camps, Masood Azhar, chief of Jaish-e-Mohammed, said in a statement that his family members were killed in the strike. He said his older sister and her husband, his nephew and his nephew's wife, as well as his niece and five children from his family were killed in a strike on the mosque in Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Masood Azhar, who was in Bahawalpur, is listed as a global terrorist by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and is sanctioned by countries like the US, UK, and India. He founded the Jaish-e-Mohammed after his release from an Indian prison in a deal for the release of hostages in the 1999 hijacking of I ndian Airlines flight IC-814.
Express Tribune
22-03-2025
- General
- Express Tribune
Thousands go into spiritual retreat as Aetekaf begins
The faithful flock to Faizan-e-Madina mosque for Aetekaf where they will dedicate the last 10 days of Ramazan to worship. PHOTO: JALAL QURESHI/EXPRESS Aetekaf refers to a spiritual retreat or ritual seclusion in a mosque in the last 10 days of the holy month of Ramazan when the faithful dedicate themselves to worship and stay away from worldly affairs. Like every Ramazan, hundreds of thousands of Karachiites will begin the observance of Aetekaf today, Friday, after the Asr prayers. This religious retreat is undertaken with the intention of seeking spiritual purification and closeness to Allah. The Aetekaf period will conclude with the sighting of the Shawwal moon, which marks the end of Ramazan. A number of mosques have made special arrangements to accommodate the mutakafeen (those observing Aetekaf). Prominent among these mosques are New Memon Mosque, Faran Mosque, Jamia Mosque, Jinnah Mosque, Gulzar-e-Habib Mosque, Faizan Madina Mosque, Thanvi Mosque, and Jamia Mosque on Amjadiya Alamgir Road, among others. Facilities for Aetekaf are also being provided at the Expo Centre, Khaliq Dina Hall, Rehmaniya Mosque on Tariq Road, Baitul Mukarram Mosque in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Jamia Masjid, Banuri Town, and many more throughout the city. In some locations, women have also been provided with the opportunity to observe Aetekaf at home. The registration process for mutikafeen was completed early in Ramazan in most mosques. In many of these mosques, provisions for Sehar and Iftar have also been arranged for those observing Aetekaf. Throughout the Aetekaf period, the mutikafeen will engage in worship activities, including shabina (night prayers), taraweeh, nawafil, and special supplications. Emphasis will be placed on seeking the blessings of Shab-e-Qadr, particularly on the odd nights. The mutikafeen will offer prayers for the prosperity and stability of the nation.
