Pakistan claims it downed Indian drone, tensions escalate along LoC

Islamabad: The Pakistan army claimed it had shot down an Indian quadcopter on Tuesday, accusing India of violating its airspace in Manawar sector of Bhimber, Kashmir, along the Line of Control (LoC).

The incident, the latest in a series of provocations, has intensified fears of a broader conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours, with cross-border firing at the LoC raging for a fifth consecutive day 0n Tuesday.

The Pakistan army’s mouthpiece, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), claimed the downed drone was a reconnaissance model, underscoring “Pakistan’s unyielding defensive vigilance”. However, the action risks further inflaming tensions sparked by the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians. India has indirectly implicated Pakistan, pointing to The Resistance Front, a Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot, though Islamabad denies involvement.

Since the attack both nations have escalated retaliatory measures. India suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), sealed the Wagah-Attari border, and revoked visas for Pakistani citizens. Pakistan countered by closing its airspace to Indian flights, halting trade, and expelling Indian defence advisers. On the LoC, Indian and Pakistani troops have exchanged relentless small arms fire in Poonch and Kupwara, with no reported casualties Tuesday.

“India’s unprovoked aggression will face resolute force,” Pakistan’s foreign office declared, while an Indian Army spokesperson accused Pakistan of “ceasefire violations to escalate tensions”.

A larger military buildup is indicated by Pakistan’s upgrading of its airports at key places, such as Skardu in Gilgit-Baltistan, which now serve as airbases hosting JF-17 fighter jets equipped with China’s PL-15 missiles. The Indian Navy tested anti-ship missiles and declared it was prepared for “precision strikes”, while the Pakistan Air Force boasted of “enhanced airpower projection”. Such posturing, coupled with warmongering rhetoric, has pushed the region to a dangerous precipice.

Mainstream and social media in both countries have fanned the flames. Pakistani outlets trend #IndianFalseFlagExposedAgain, while Indian platforms demand retribution for Pahalgam. Defence minister Khawaja Asif warned, “India’s jingoism will be met with a crushing response. Our nuclear arsenal is primed.” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to “pursue terrorists to their last hideout”, amplifying domestic calls for action.

Pakistan foreign minister Ishaq Dar labeled India’s actions “reckless”. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while expressing a “commitment to peace”, cautioned, “Any threat to our sovereignty will be decisively countered.” India’s moves, including threats to exit the 1972 Simla Agreement, risk dismantling decades of fragile bilateral frameworks. “Abandoning Simla would collapse all diplomatic guardrails,” a former Pakistani diplomat warned.

As Pakistan bolsters its airbases and India hunts for suspects linked to Pahalgam, the LoC remains a volatile flashpoint, with both sides bracing for potential conflict.