Pakistan has issued a stark warning about the rising risk of nuclear war with India if tensions between the two nations continue to escalate. In an interview with Geo News on Wednesday night, Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif warned that the threat of nuclear war is both "clear and present."
"Pakistan has faced such threats before and [the] region could once again be on brink of a strategic standoff," he said. Asif had earlier vowed that Pakistan would take necessary action to protect itself after a barrage of missiles were launched by India on Wednesday — the highest level of hostility seen between the two nuclear-armed neighbors in over 20 years.
Pakistan Threatens Nuclear Attack
"We have been saying all along the last fortnight that we will never initiate anything hostile toward India. But if India attacks, we'll respond," he said. Pakistan claimed on Thursday that it shot down 25 Indian drones that had entered its airspace, as the cycle of deadly retaliation between the two nations continued.
India, in response, said that it had successfully thwarted Pakistan's attempts to target its military positions using drones and missiles.
On Thursday, three back-to-back explosions were reported in Lahore, Pakistan, causing panic as residents fled their homes in fear, according to ARY News. Police have cordoned off the area, restricting access to non-residents, while bomb disposal squads and intelligence officials have begun initial investigations at the scene.
Confirming that the explosions took place within moments of each other, Lahore Police said, "The blasts were so loud that people who were several kilometers away heard their sound and rushed to the streets in confusion and fear."
Local news outlets reported that sirens blared and people rushed out of their homes after loud explosions were heard in the Gopal Nagar and Naseerabad neighborhoods near Walton Airport. The affected area is close to Lahore's upscale central business district and the army cantonment.
The exact cause of the blasts remains unclear, but authorities are actively investigating to identify the origin and nature of the explosions.
Tensions Escalate a Day after India's Strike
Tensions between India and Pakistan have remained high since their separation from British rule in 1947, with the two countries having fought three wars and engaged in several confrontations over the decades.
Both nations became nuclear powers in the 1990s.
President Donald Trump has called on both countries to end the hostilities, describing the escalating violence "so terrible."
"My position is, I get along with both. I know both very well and I want to see them work it out," Trump said.
"If I can do anything to help, I will be there."
