After attacking each other in the past couple of days, both sides continue to launch air strikes and drones, with emergency measures imposed along the border. The two countries accuse each other of starting the violence and infiltrating their respective territory. New Delhi has also intensified non-military measures against Islamabad, putting pressure on the International Monetary Fund, as well as blocking parts of the Internet. It has also taken advantage of tensions to crack down on domestic opposition.

As clashes between India and Pakistan intensify after the attack in Pahalgam on 22 April, military operations are increasingly seen as testing the most advanced weapons on the market. Today India struck Pakistani air defences, risking further escalation. Pakistan has promised a response “at a time and place of its own choosing” with the risk of causing the worse  confrontation between the two countries since 1971.

Behind the demonstrations is the mysterious fall of a young woman from a building in the capital. According to some sources, politicians and prominent figures are involved. The incident allegedly took place during a party with drugs and alcohol in the Muslim-majority nation, and the police are accused of covering it up. Close associates of the president are also under scrutiny.

The Indian military claims that Operation Sindoor against Pakistan was “focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature.” Pakistan’s response killed students at a Catholic school. Sadly, “two students lost their lives, and their parents were severely injured,” lamented Bishop Ivan Pereira of Jammu (India). For his part, Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore (India), called on the faithful to “pray specially for the leaders of our country to pursue attempts for peace”.

India struck Pakistani territory overnight in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. Pakistan responded by shooting down planes and stressing that the victims were civilians, not terrorists as claimed by India. In Pakistan, activists, religious leaders and civil society groups harshly condemn the attack.

The interim government commission led by Yunus is drafting laws to promote “equal opportunities” in inheritance, labor, and family matters. For fundamentalists, these proposals “hurt religious sentiments.” The fight for rights continues among political parties and civil society, against the backdrop of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s return to the country.