Pakistan and India's national security advisers in contact following cross-border escalation: Islamabad

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) – Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister said Wednesday that communication has taken place between the national security advisers of Pakistan and India following a recent sharp escalation in hostilities between the two countries.

In an interview with TRT World, Ishaq Dar confirmed that the two countries’ top security officials had been in contact following the overnight strikes.

Pakistan recently appointed Lt. Gen. Muhammad Asim Malik, the director general of Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI), as its National Security Adviser, while his Indian counterpart is Ajit Doval.

His remarks came amid an escalation between the two nuclear-armed nations after India launched overnight missile strikes inside Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, hitting what New Delhi said were nine "terrorist infrastructure” sites.

The Pakistani Army said in a statement that at least 31 people were killed and 57 injured as a result of the Indian strikes as well as cross-border firing, noting that the missiles targeted six locations.

At least 12 people were killed along the Line of Control (LoC) in Indian-administered Kashmir, according to officials.

The rival militaries have exchanged fire along the LoC since an April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, in which 26 people were killed.

India blamed Pakistan for the attack, claiming there were cross-border links. Pakistan denied that it had anything to do with the killings and offered a neutral probe.