Pakistan probes drone found near Lahore amid suspected cross-border link

Authorities in Pakistan have launched an investigation after a drone was recovered from the Manawan area along Lahore’s Jandiala Road, amid growing concerns over potential cross-border incursion.

Police officials confirmed to Nukta that the drone was seized on Thursday, and a probe is underway to determine its origin and purpose.

Preliminary suspicions suggest the device may have been used for drug smuggling, but officials emphasized that no conclusive findings have been reached yet.

“We do not have a final report at this stage,” a police official said, noting that the station house officer (SHO) and investigative teams are actively working on the case.

“There is no confirmation at this point that the drone came from India. We will be able to share a definitive version once our investigation is complete.”

Drone retrieved from Manawan locality on Lahore’s Jandiala Road.Nukta

Although the drone’s source remains unconfirmed, the incident has reignited concerns about unauthorized aerial activity near Pakistan’s eastern border. Similar episodes in the past have heightened tensions between Pakistan and India, especially when drones have been linked to surveillance or military purposes.

In April this year, Pakistan’s military claimed to have shot down an Indian drone that allegedly attempted reconnaissance along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Manawar sector of Bhimber.

That incident occurred just days after the deadliest attack in years in Indian-administered Kashmir, where 26 tourists were killed on April 22. India blamed Pakistan-based militants for the assault and launched air and missile strikes across the LoC - accusations that Islamabad denied.

What followed was a dangerous escalation. By early May, both countries had exchanged artillery fire, drone attacks, and airstrikes.

A U.S.-brokered ceasefire on May 10, led by President Donald Trump, helped pull both nations back from the brink of war. However, the episode underscored how drone technology - silent, remote, and often untraceable - is reshaping the dynamics of modern conflict between long-standing adversaries.

The rapid use of drones on both sides marked a turning point in the decades-long rivalry. Military experts described it as the world's first drone-centered conflict between two nuclear-armed states.

With tensions still simmering, Pakistani authorities are treating all unidentified aerial activity, including Thursday’s drone recovery near Lahore, with heightened scrutiny.