Pakistan accuses India of dropping projectiles in Amritsar to stir communal tensions

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Thursday accused India of "deliberately dropping three projectiles in Amritsar" -- a city in Indian Punjab -- in an alleged attempt to implicate Pakistan and stoke resentment among Sikhs by exploiting the cultural and emotional bonds shared between the two Punjabs across the border.

The joint civil-military press briefing came amid escalating tensions following Indian drone incursions into Pakistani territory. Pakistani officials claimed that the drones were intercepted and neutralized.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan’s Information Minister Ata Tarar claimed that 40 to 50 Indian soldiers were also killed in recent clashes along the Line of Control (LoC).

Despite what they described as repeated provocations, the minister-spokesperson duo stressed that Pakistan, as a “responsible state,” has so far shown restraint and confined its response to legitimate self-defense under international law and the UN Charter. However, they warned that Pakistan "reserves the right to respond to Indian aggression at a time, place, and manner of its choosing."

Foreign Minister Dar, who also the deputy prime minister, said that Indian drones violated Pakistani airspace at no fewer than 24 locations.

Of the four projectiles launched by India, he said, three were deliberately dropped inside Amritsar, while the fourth crossed into Pakistan and was "successfully neutralized" by Pakistani armed forces.

India accused of stoking communal tensions

Dar accused India’s “Hindutva-driven government” of attempting to falsely implicate Pakistan in attacks on Indian civilians in Amritsar, saying the move appeared aimed at inciting anti-Pakistan sentiment among the Sikh population and diverting attention from India’s own internal communal tensions.

He said, “The malicious modus operandi of the Hindutva regime seems intended to provoke hostility against Pakistan and exploit the cultural and emotional ties between Pakistani Punjab and Indian Punjab to externalize rising unrest within India.”

Dar strongly denied any Pakistani involvement in acts that could endanger civilian lives in Indian Punjab. “Given the deep-rooted cultural affinity and mutual respect between the two Punjabs, Pakistan categorically denies any intention or action that would harm civilian populations across the border,” he asserted.

Contrasting Pakistan’s stance with what he called India's “divisive policies,” the foreign minister reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to protecting innocent lives and promoting regional harmony. “We deeply empathize with the civilian population -- particularly the Sikh community in Indian Punjab -- whose safety was recklessly compromised by India’s use of missiles for sinister political purposes,” he said.

Dar further revealed that Indian drones had violated Pakistan’s airspace at multiple points along the international border, targeting civilians -- killing one and injuring four -- as well as attempting strikes on military installations that left four personnel wounded.

“One of the drones even hit the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, where the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches are taking place, in what appeared to be a deliberate attempt to target both domestic and international players,” he said, adding that all such drones were neutralized.

He disclosed that Pakistan’s armed forces had downed five Indian fighter jets and two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), a loss India was unwilling to acknowledge.

“In response, India issued politically motivated and false statements claiming Pakistan attacked Indian installations last night -- this is a blatant lie aimed at masking their own aggression across at least 24 sites today,” Dar said.

Referring to the events between May 6 and 7, Dar accused India of fabricating a retaliatory narrative to justify its actions.

“Our nation must not be alarmed. Our armed forces -- especially the air force -- engaged 75 to 80 Indian jets and brought down five along with two UAVs,” he assured, adding that all branches, including the navy, remain fully alert and operational.

‘Nothing will happen’

Echoing this confidence, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lt. Gen. Chaudhry dismissed India’s claim of having attacked 15 locations in Pakistan, calling it a "fabricated narrative aimed at creating media hype."

“India is peddling a cooked-up story,” he said. “Let me ask a few questions: Are Indian forces operating in the 18th century or the 21st? In this day and age, every projectile leaves a digital trace and signature. Where is that evidence?”

Criticizing the Indian government for what he called a pattern of theatrical behavior, the ISPR chief said, “When will this Indian leadership transition from cinematic theatrics to the real world we actually live in? This obsession with airstrikes is nothing new -- we’ve seen it before.”

He referred to the 2016 Uri incident as an example of a “phantom strike” where no actual damage occurred, likening India's latest claims to a “phantom defense.”

The military spokesperson reassured the public that Pakistan’s armed forces are fully prepared and vigilant. “Let me assure the nation -- nothing will happen. Our forces are ready to defend every inch of the country.”