Following heightened tensions and Indian aggression, the national security advisors of Pakistan and India have established contact. According to officials, Pakistan’s National Security Advisor, Lieutenant General Asim Munir, spoke with his Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval, in an attempt to de-escalate the situation.
In a conversation with Express Tribune, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed the communication between the two advisors but refrained from providing further details on the discussions.
“The contacts were made, but the specifics of the talks are not yet disclosed,” he said.
A Pakistani official added that in such critical situations, these contacts were essential. It is widely speculated that the outreach followed covert diplomatic efforts from international and regional leaders.
Reports from Indian media revealed that Ajit Doval reached out to national security advisors from the US, UK, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Japan, Russia, China, and France to brief them on India’s actions. Doval emphasized that these measures were appropriate, measured, and aimed at dismantling terrorist infrastructure linked to groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s National Security Committee has stated that the country reserves the right to respond to India’s missile strikes at a time, place, and method of its choosing. However, in the aftermath of the Prime Minister’s address in Parliament, there is speculation that Pakistan may refrain from further retaliatory actions.
Within the first hour of India’s missile strikes, Pakistan’s military shot down five Indian fighter jets, including four Rafale aircraft, which had been hastily purchased from France following India’s failed Balakot operation.
Indian media, however, has imposed a complete blackout on the damages caused by Pakistan’s swift retaliation. Some experts believe the confrontation between the two countries was, in fact, a test of Chinese and Western technology.
According to Pakistani officials, J-10C, Chinese-made fighter jets, were acquired by Pakistan after India added Rafale jets to its fleet, strengthening its defensive capabilities.
A French intelligence official also confirmed to CNN that one of India’s Rafale jets was downed by Pakistan’s military.
