Pakistan on Wednesday summoned Indian Chargé d’Affaires Geetika Srivastava to protest against the Indian military’s Operation Sindoor, PTI reported.

The chargé d’affaires, who is in charge of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to “receive strong protest” over what the ministry called “unprovoked Indian strikes”.

Following Pakistan’s downgrade of diplomatic ties with India in August 2019 over New Delhi’s decision to abrogate the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, both countries’ diplomatic missions have been led by chargés d’affaires instead of the high commissioners.

Srivastava was summoned hours after the Indian military carried out strikes on what it said were terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. The Indian armed forces targeted nine sites as part of the military operation.

Islamabad claimed the strikes had killed and injured several civilians and called the operation a violation of its sovereignty, PTI reported.

After carrying out the strikes, India’s defence ministry said that its actions had been “focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature”.

“No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted,” the ministry said. “India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and methods in Pakistan.”

It added: “We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for the attack will be held accountable.”

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Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, said on social media that the Indian Air Force “while remaining in Indian air space” had targeted sites across the international border in Muridke and Bahawalpur, and across the Line of Control in Kotli and Muzzafarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that Pakistani forces had “every right to respond forcefully” and that a “forceful response is being given”.

Twenty-six persons were killed in India’s strike, reported AFP. During a press conference earlier in the day, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry stated that at least 35 persons were injured, reported The Print.

Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told Bloomberg TV on Wednesday that the country was ready to “wrap up” tensions with India if New Delhi chooses to de-escalate the situation.

“But if we’re attacked, we’ll respond,” he said. “If India backs down, we will definitely wrap up this tension.”

However, Pakistan’s National Security Committee said that it had authorised its armed forces to respond to India’s Operation Sindoor.

The Indian armed forces said that they were fully prepared to respond to “Pakistani misadventures” that will escalate the hostilities between the two countries.

Following the strikes, 10 civilians were killed in firing and shelling by the Pakistan Army along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district. Two among those killed were children.

Twenty-nine persons in Jammu and Kashmir were injured as the militaries of both countries exchanged fire, reported AFP.

The terror attack at the Baisaran area near Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam town on April 22 left 26 persons dead and 17 injured. The terrorists targeted tourists after asking their names to ascertain their religion, the police said. All but three of those killed were Hindu.

India and Pakistan had fired tit-for-tat diplomatic salvoes at each other following the terror attack, such as suspending the Indus Waters Treaty and bilateral trade, and expelling diplomats. Pakistan has violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control for 12 consecutive days, promoting retaliation from the Indian Army.

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