After last night’s event this is the state of play between India and Pakistan:
India launched strikes on nine locations in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir and Pakistan as part of “Operation Sindoor” after 26 civilians were killed in a terrorist attack in the India-controlled region. These sites are claimed to be militant training camps…
Pakistani officials dispute this and claim those strikes and border fighting killed at least 26 people and injured 46, including civilians. They also say they shot down five Indian Air Force jets alongside unmanned aerial vehicles. Cross-border shelling has also taken place. Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif described the attacks as an “act of war imposed by India” and said Islamabad has “every right” to give a “robust response.” No details on planned retaliation absent of tit for tat shelling…
Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri says the strikes were “necessary“: “Intelligence and monitoring of Pakistan-based terror modules showed that further attacks against India were impending, therefore it was necessary to take pre-emptive and precautionary strikes.” Misri also says there are “clear links” between militants and Pakistan. Indian officials say the death toll from shelling on the Indian side is at ten. How this developing situation plays out in UK politics will certainly be interesting…
Sarah Pochin at Reform Scotland’s manifesto launch event: “I really wanted to come on in a Reform tartan burka, but apparently I wasn’t allowed… One day let’s do one of these events not live-streamed. We’ll do all the naughty stuff…”