Could India, Pakistan use nuclear weapons? Here’s what their doctrines say

As India and Pakistan escalate shelling and missile attacks, an all-out war between the two sides would be the first ever between nuclear-armed nations.

What are the nuclear arsenals of India and Pakistan like?

And when – according to their nuclear doctrines – could they use nuclear weapons?

Click here for a closer look at their arsenals and the policies that govern their use.

Indian army denounces ‘blatant escalation’ in Pakistan’s deployment of drones

In a statement posted on X, India’s military said it detected “multiple enemy armed drones” flying over the Khasa Cantt military base in the Indian city of Amritsar early on Saturday.

“The hostile drones were instantly engaged and destroyed by our air defence units,” the statement said.

“Pakistan’s blatant attempt to violate India’s sovereignty and endanger civilians is unacceptable,” it added.

Five killed by Pakistani shelling in Jammu region: Reports

Earlier, we reported that Rajouri district commissioner in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir region, Raj Kumar Thappa, was killed after the Pakistani military struck his home as part of a spate of shelling targeting Rajouri, Poonch and Jammu districts.

Citing local officials, The New Indian Express and National Herald newspapers now report that two more people – including a two-year-old child – were killed and three others were injured in the attack on Rajouri town.

A 55-year-old woman was also reportedly killed when a mortar shell struck her home in Kanghra-Galhutta village in Poonch district, while a resident of Bidipur Jatta village was killed in the R S Pura sector of Jammu district.

‘Tremendous fighting’ reported in Pakistan’s Sialkot

We are getting reports that in the city of Sialkot, there’s been tremendous fighting near the disputed border.

In the last 48 hours, Pakistan has also reported that it has downed at least 77 drones.

Residents in Lahore and Karachi have also reported hearing sounds of explosions in the last few hours near densely populated areas.

This is where the concern is, that it is happening in civilian areas in both countries.

There have been efforts to find a way to de-escalate the situation, including efforts by the US secretary of state, as well as the Iranian and Saudi Arabian foreign ministers.

But Pakistan said that it has to respond and that it cannot sit silent amid the attack.

First all-out war between nuclear-armed nations?

So far, India and Pakistan have used missiles, drones, diplomacy and information to battle each other since the April 22 attack on Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, in which 26 civilians were killed.

But as they slide rapidly towards a full-blown military conflict, a dangerous reality stares not just at the 1.6 billion people of the two countries, but at the world: If an all-out war were to break out between them, it would be the first ever between two nuclear-armed nations.

India and Pakistan fought in the icy heights of Kargil in 1999, a year after the South Asian neighbours became nuclear states.

But that was a contained war: Already, in the past three days, India and Pakistan each claim to have hit much wider swaths of the other’s territory than was the case in 1999.

The last full war between India and Pakistan was in 1971, before either had tested a nuclear device.

And though the US and the Soviet Union were locked in the Cold War for more than 40 years, they carefully managed their tensions, including through a series of proxy wars in third countries, to avoid engaging in direct military conflict.

Pakistan state media claims Indian websites hacked as part of ‘Bunyan Marsoos’

Earlier, we reported that Pakistan claimed it had hit India’s power grid with a cyberattack launched as part of operation Bunyan Marsoos.

Pakistan’s state-run PTV News now reports that several sensitive Indian online domains have been targeted as part of that cyberattack, including websites belonging to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, the Border Security Forces, and the Crime Research Investigation Agency.

This claim could not be independently verified. The Indian government has yet to comment.

India and Pakistan have not declared war, but ‘effectively at war’: Analyst

Michael Kugelman, a South Asia analyst, spoke to Al Jazeera a little earlier about the overnight and early-morning fighting between India and Pakistan.

This is some of what he said.

• They have not formally declared war, but they are effectively at war. There have been increasing hostilities, and we see that after this series of strikes from India, Pakistan responded almost instantaneously, and they continue to fight.
• My understanding is that the air forces are facing off with a dog fight. I think that we are seeing India and Pakistan, two nuclear states, at war for the first time since 1999.
• The fog of war is very deep this time compared to previous India-Pakistan crises, and one reason for that is because of social media and disinformation and how that affects the fog of war. It does seem that you have a lot of accusations and then denials and so on from each side.
• So it is really hard to know exactly what is going on. And there has been a lot of allegations about what has been going on in the last few hours, what’s happened and what has not happened. But what we do know is that both countries have attacked each other’s military facilities and that is very escalatory for sure.

Chief minister of India-administered Kashmir reports death of district official

In a statement posted on X, Omar Abdullah, chief minister of the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir region, said that Raj Kumar Thapa, a district commissioner in Rajouri town, was killed after his residence was hit by shelling from Pakistan.

“I’ve no words to express my shock and sadness at this terrible loss of life,” Abdullah wrote.

Shelling and intense fire have been reported since early on Saturday along the Line of Control dividing India and Pakistan.

AMore on huge explosion heard in Indian-administered Kashmir

Journalist Umar Mehraj, who is reporting from Srinagar, told Al Jazeera that at approximately 5:45am local time (23:45 GMT), residents heard a loud explosion in the Indian-administered Kashmir near the Line of Control (LoC).

“It is unclear whether the strike was fired by Pakistan,” he said, but added that the explosion was “louder and more intense” than previously reported blasts on Friday.

“This is one of the most intense clashes we have seen in recent years,” he said.

Mehraj also reported of power outages and the blaring of air raid sirens in the area following the explosion.

Authorities announce temporary closure of airports across north, west India

India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation has issued a series of Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) announcing the temporary closure of 32 airports across the country’s north and west for all civil flight operations.

The closures will be in effect from May 9-14 and impacted airports span the Indian states of Punjab, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat, as well as Indian-administered Kashmir.

A full list of impacted airports can be found at this link.

‘Situation extremely critical’ as Pakistan and India trade heavy fire

It  was after the attack on the airfield, which shook the city of Rawalpindi in the early hours of the morning – and after several days of sending suicide drones all over Pakistan – that the Indian air force attacked these airbases with standoff munitions, which means they must have fired these from a distance.

After that, Pakistan launched a massive retaliation.

As we speak, we are being told that drones are still hovering over Delhi.

Pakistan has struck several major front-line military bases. They are claiming that they have destroyed a missile battery, they’ve destroyed several airfields, and that they’ve attacked artillery gun positions.

And the Pakistani prime minister has called a meeting of the National Command Authority. Now this is a step higher because this deals with Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, and therefore, the situation is extremely critical.

Islamabad says India’s suspension of Indus Waters Treaty an ‘attack’ on Pakistan’s people

We have reported extensively on the decision of India to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty amid the escalating conflict with neighbouring Pakistan.

A spokesperson from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Pakistan has issued further comments on the development, calling it an “attack” on Pakistan’s people.

The spokesman said that from Islamabad’s perspective, the treaty “remains fully in force and is binding on the parties”, according to a transcript of a briefing published on the ministry’s website.

“There is no provision in the treaty to hold it in abeyance,” the spokesman added.

“Millions of people are dependent on the water being regulated by this treaty. The Indian decision is equivalent to an attack on the people of Pakistan and its economy.”

Can India and Pakistan avoid a fourth war over Kashmir?

It’s the biggest military escalation between India and Pakistan in decades. Missile strikes, drone attacks, and deadly shelling have struck on both sides of the border in the disputed region of Kashmir.

With dozens of civilians dead and both countries trading blame, can the two nuclear powers contain the dispute?

Pakistan says Indian military sites targeted

Right after morning prayers here in Pakistan, the Pakistan military launched its counteroffensive against India, codenamed “Bunyan Marsoos”, after a verse in the Quran.

It has targeted a number of sites across India. These are all military sites, including one missile station as well as two airfields.

According to military sources, all of these locations have been involved in targeting Pakistani civilians, places of worship, as well as military installations.

Pakistan had been saying that it did not want to go to this level, but it was forced to because after the May 7 attacks, Pakistan immediately responded, saying that it reserved the right … to respond and protect its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Pakistani PM calls National Command Authority meeting

Pakistan’s military has said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called a meeting of the country’s top civilian and military body, which takes key national security decisions, including those related to the country’s nuclear arsenal.

We will bring you more information when we have it.

‘Intense night’ as Pakistan launches strikes on Indian targets

An intense night where multiple Pakistani airbases came under attack.

The Pakistani military says that all of those were thwarted.

But it was not just those aerial attacks. Across the Line of Control in Kashmir, in Sialkot, and across various sectors in Pakistan, there was intense firing and shelling, and in the past few minutes, we’ve heard from other cities as well, including Lahore and Karachi, where multiple explosions have been heard.

In the past few days, Pakistan said it had downed more than 80 drones that were fired into its territory by India.

So, all in all, it appears that all of these tensions that had been ratcheting up have finally culminated in this attack by Pakistan.

Pakistan said that it reserved the right to attack India, citing Article 51 of the UN Charter, because India carried out, according to Pakistani officials, an unprovoked attack and did not provide any proof for its allegations that Pakistan was in any way involved in terrorist activities on Indian soil.

What are BrahMos missiles?

We have been reporting on Pakistan’s operation Bunyan Marsoos, which has targeted several military sites in India and Indian-administered Kashmir over recent hours.

One of the attacks has reportedly hit a BrahMos missile storage site in Beas in India’s Punjab province.

BrahMos missiles are supersonic missiles with a top range of 800km (497 miles) that can be launched from a range of military vehicles, including submarines, ships and fighter aircraft.

They were developed by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation and the Russian rocket design bureau, NPO Mashinostroyeniya.

The name is a portmanteau of the Brahmaputra River in India and the Moskva River in Russia.

Pakistan’s operation targets Indian missile storage sites

According to the Pakistani military, there have been multiple assets which have been engaged, including its Fatah-1 medium-range missile system, which is being used to target those military facilities.

Pakistan said it was bound to carry out this attack after India carried out the attack on May 7 and killed its civilians and citizens.

All those sites that have been targeted are the ones that Pakistan said have been used to put targets on the backs of its citizens; India targeted mosques, places of worship, as well as military sites.

Pakistani state media claims India’s power grid hit by cyberattack

State-run outlet PTV News is now reporting that India’s power grid has been hit by a cyberattack launched as part of Operation Bunyan Marsoos.

This claim could not be independently verified. The Indian government has yet to comment.

We will bring you more information when we have it.

Sirens, loud explosion reported in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir

India’s ANI news agency is reporting an explosion in the Dibber area of Udhampur, in Indian-administered Kashmir.

A video clip posted by ANI showed smoke rising over the area where the reported explosion happened.

The report added that sirens were also activated following the incident, which happened just minutes after Pakistan’s military announced the launch of its retaliatory military operation against India.

More on Pakistan’s military operation against India

In a post on X, Al Jazeera’s correspondent Osama Bin Javaid said, according to military sources, Pakistan is attacking “multiple targets” across India.

Pakistan launched its operation right after dawn prayers on Saturday, he said.

G7 warns India-Pakistan military escalation a ‘serious threat’ to regional stability

The Group of Seven (G7) major countries urged maximum restraint from both India and Pakistan and called on them to engage in direct dialogue amid rising hostilities between the two nuclear-armed Asian neighbours.

“Further military escalation poses a serious threat to regional stability. We are deeply concerned for the safety of civilians on both sides,” according to the statement, which was posted in the official website of the government of Canada, a member of the G7.

“We continue to monitor events closely and express our support for a swift and lasting diplomatic resolution.”

Indian army postpones press conference due to attacks: Report

We have been reporting on “Bunyan Marsoos”, a military operation launched by Pakistan’s armed forces over the past hour targeting military sites in India and Indian-administered Kashmir.

Pakistani news outlet Samaa TV, citing security sources, now reports that the Indian Army has postponed a planned news conference due to the strikes. The same outlet reports that Pakistan has fired at least three “Fatah 2” missiles at Indian targets.

What does Pakistan military’s Operation Bunyan Marsoos mean?

The operation launched by Pakistan against India is part of a verse from Islam’s holy book, the Quran, which reads: Truly Allah loves those who fight in His Cause in battle array, as if they were a solid cemented structure.

Bunyan Marsoos is an Arabic phrase which directly translates into “a structure made of lead”.

In Quranic context, the phrase is used to describe the unity and strength of followers of Islam who are fighting for the cause of Allah.

New Delhi airport says ‘changing airspace conditions’ could impact operation

Earlier, we reported about Pakistan’s decision to close the country’s airspace due to the current tensions with India.

Meanwhile, in India, the operator of New Delhi airport said “changing airspace conditions and increased security measures” could affect some flights and length of security checks.

The advisory asked passengers to arrive early and cooperate with airline and security staff at the airport.

Pakistan responds to Indian attacks, launches operation ‘Bunyan Marsoos’

The military’s media wing – Inter-Services Public Relations – has announced that Pakistan has officially launched its retaliatory strikes against “Indian aggression”, codenamed operation Bunyan Marsoos.

Military sources have claimed that Pakistan has targeted airbase in Indian city of Udhampur and an air field in Pathankot, both of which were “destroyed”.

Security sources further claimed that a BrahMos missile’s storage site in Beas, in India’s Punjab province, was also hit.

More on the reported Indian missile attacks on Pakistani airbases

Pakistani army spokesman Ahmad Sharif said in a televised address that all Pakistani air force assets were safe after he claimed India launched missile attacks on three airbases.

He said that India targeted the Nur Khan airbase in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, Murid airbase in Chakwal city and Rafiqui airbase in the Jhang district in the eastern Punjab province.

Sharif said some of the missiles fired by India also went into Afghanistan, but did not yet provide evidence, which he claimed Pakistan possessed.

He blamed the “blatant acts of aggression” on the “paranoia within the Indian mindset”.

Pakistan launches strikes against India: State media

Citing security sources, Pakistan’s state-run news outlet PTV News has reported that Pakistan has “launched a counter-offensive against Indian aggression”, without providing more details.

We will bring you more information when we have it.

A recap of recent developments

As tensions soar between India and Pakistan, misinformation and unconfirmed rumours of attacks are rife on both sides of the Radcliffe Line.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Pakistan’s military media wing said Indian fighter jets fired air-to-surface missiles at three of its airbases, but added that “all assets” are safe.
• In light of the attacks, Pakistan’s Civil Aviation agency has closed its airspace for more than eight hours, with it slated to reopen at 12pm (07:00 GMT) local time on Saturday.
• The Reuters news agency, citing witnesses, has reported that four blasts have been heard in Amritsar, a city in the northwestern Indian state of Punjab near the Pakistan border.
• Multiple blasts have also been heard in Jammu city in Indian-administered Kashmir for a second day, and projectiles have been seen in the night sky after a blackout.
• Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has slammed Pakistan’s “farcical” response after it again denied launching attacks across the border and claimed India fired ballistic missiles that fell on its own territory.

Welcome to our coverage

Hello, and thank you for joining our coverage of the fighting between India and Pakistan after the deadly attack in Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir last month.

Follow this page for up-to-the-minute updates on the latest developments, along with context and analysis.

What is the Line of Control?

With the fast-moving developments on the ground, let’s take a step back and look at what we mean by the Line of Control (LoC), a term our correspondents regularly use.

• It is the de facto border dividing Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Indian-administered Kashmir.
• The line originally marked the military front when the two countries declared a ceasefire in January 1949 after their first war over Kashmir.
• It was formally named the LoC under the 1972 Simla Agreement, signed after the 1971 war that resulted in the creation of Bangladesh.

Clashes along Line of Control resume after hours of relative calm

Umar Mehra, a journalist based in Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir, said civilians living near the Line of Control that bisects Kashmir are increasingly fleeing as the situation is “escalating very dangerously” and cross-border fighting has resumed.

“After 13 hours of relative calm today, the clashes along the Line of Control have resumed. There are also reports of heavy exchanges of artillery along the Line of Control in Kupwara, Poonch, Uri, and Samba,” he told Al Jazeera.

“Civilians in the border area are living under growing fear, and thousands have fled their homes, seeking shelter in other areas or makeshift camps.”

IPL not likely to finish season ‘in the near future’

Raunak Kapoor, an Indian cricket broadcaster, says that while the Indian Premier League has been suspended for a week due to the tensions with Pakistan, it will likely be delayed for much longer.

“I don’t see them finishing [the season] in the near future,” he told Al Jazeera from Mumbai.

“We are probably looking at a time after the Indian monsoon [to complete the season], in September or October,” he added.

Kapoor said he believes the authorities will act much like they did during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the IPL was suspended around April and resumed in the UAE around September.

“They will certainly finish the league, whether they can manage it at home or not,” he said.

Explosions reported near Srinagar airport

The news agency Reuters, citing local officials, is reporting that there have been about 10 explosions around Srinagar airport in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Journalist Umar Mehraj told Al Jazeera that “multiple loud explosions were heard … near the Srinagar airport, after people had seen projectiles in the sky”.

“Panic spread among locals,” Meraj said from Indian-administered Kashmir.

Can India and Pakistan avoid a fourth war over Kashmir?

The biggest military escalation between India and Pakistan in decades continues.

Missile strikes, drone attacks, and deadly shelling have struck on both sides of the border in the disputed region of Kashmir.

With dozens of civilians dead and both countries trading blame, can the two nuclear powers contain the dispute?

International Crisis Group says world powers ‘indifferent’ to India-Pakistan crisis

The think tank says “foreign powers appear to have been somewhat indifferent” to the prospect of war, despite warnings of possible escalation.

“Aside from their preoccupation with the multitude of other crises unfolding around the world, many foreign capitals may also have feared contradicting themselves after having expressed support for India’s prerogative to ‘fight terrorism’ following the brutal Pahalgam killings,” the ICG said in a statement.

US Vice President JD Vance on Thursday said that Washington wanted to see a “de-escalation” in a worsening conflict between India and Pakistan, but that it was “fundamentally none of our business”.

But the ICG said that a “combination of bellicose rhetoric, domestic agitation and the remorseless logic of military one-upmanship have heightened the risks of escalation, particularly because for some time there was no diplomatic communication between the sides”.

‘We still have an opportunity for an off-ramp’: India’s former FM

India’s former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla has told Al Jazeera that, as he understands, the national security advisers of India and Pakistan “are in touch with each other”.

He said the message being conveyed in news conferences by Indian officials is that “India is committed to peace, but the choice of de-escalation lies with Pakistan. In other words, there is an off-ramp situation here”.

He added, “Even if you look at the Indian air force briefing, there’s a lot of … operational restraint that is being talked about, and the fact that there is definitely a desire to avoid a wider conflict.

“India does believe that its actions have been calibrated, have been precise, have been responsible, and it is not designed in any way to escalate the situation, unless Pakistan, you know, sort of seeks that avenue.

“And if that’s the case, then the Indian response is likely to be firm.”

Uncertainty and fear grips India

There had been relative calm since this morning, but now that has changed, because gunshots and loud explosions have been reported along the Line of Control.

We’re also getting reports of a blackout in Jammu.

There have been fast-moving developments overnight, including India saying it has taken down several Pakistani drones and missiles and also stopped armed men trying to cross into the Indian side.

There have also been a lot of security developments in many cities, including the Indian capital, New Delhi, which is on high alert.

About 20 airports have been shut, and they were to remain shut until the 15th.

The Indian Premier League, a much-loved and highly watched series that has been under way with matches all over the country, will now be suspended for a week.

Blasts and ‘heavy firing’ heard in Indian city of Amritsar

Witnesses have told the Reuters news agency that four blasts have been heard in Amritsar, a city in the northwestern Indian state of Punjab, about 30km (19 miles) from the border with Pakistan.

Journalist Ravinder Singh Robin has also reported “heavy firing sounds” in the city.

“Just moments ago, heavy firing sounds heard near Air Force Cantonment around Ajnala Road in Amritsar,” he posted along with a video on X.

As cross-border attacks continue how can we hold on to hope, peace and our humanity?

On the night of May 6, India went to bed. In the morning, we were at war.

When I woke up on Wednesday at about 4:30am to use the bathroom, the glow of my phone screen caught my bleary eye. Still half asleep, I picked it up – only to be jolted awake by headline after headline screaming the same unthinkable message: India had launched a series of strikes into Pakistan, targeting terrorist strongholds.

Read more here.

Jammu resident reports drone attack on the city

Jammu resident Rashul Singh Oberh has told Al Jazeera that a blackout in the city in Indian-administered Kashmir started at about 8pm (14:30 GMT) and a drone attack started about 15 to 30 minutes later.

“I’m at my workplace and can see red light and explosions in the sky,” he said.

Multiple blasts and a blackout reported in Jammu city

Multiple blasts have been heard in Jammu city in Indian-administered Kashmir for a second day, and projectiles have been seen in the night sky after a blackout.

“Intermittent sounds of blasts, probably heavy artillery, can now be heard from where I am,” the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah said in a post on X.

In an earlier post he said: “Blackout in Jammu now. Sirens can be heard across the city.”

Fast facts: India and Pakistan tensions

• In 1947, the British colonial rulers drew a line of partition, dividing the Indian subcontinent into Muslim-majority Pakistan and Hindu-majority India. What followed was one of the largest – and, perhaps, bloodiest – migrations in human history.
• Seventy-eight years on, the two nations remain bitter foes. But now they have nuclear arms.
• The tension between India and Pakistan has escalated sharply once again after the Pahalgam attack on April 22.
• The Muslim-majority Kashmir region, a former princely state, has been in dispute since the partition of India. India, Pakistan and China each control a part of Kashmir. India claims all of it, while Pakistan claims the part administered by India.
• The two countries have gone to war four times, and there have been numerous cross-border skirmishes and escalations, including one in 2019 after at least 40 Indian soldiers were killed in a suicide attack claimed by the Pakistan-based armed group, Jaish-e-Muhammad.
• In retaliation, India launched air strikes in Balakot, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa later that month, claiming that its jets had struck “terrorist” bases, killing many fighters. Many independent analysts have questioned whether India actually struck bases of armed groups and whether it killed as many fighters as it claims it did.

Indian army shares video of missile strike against Pakistan

The Indian army has released a short video clip showing a strike on a structure, which it described as a “befitting reply” to Pakistan’s violations of the Line of Control separating Indian-administered Kashmir from Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

In a post on X, India accused Pakistan of carrying out a series of overnight attacks.

Officials in Pakistan say their armed forces have, so far, engaged only in defensive military measures in response to India’s attacks.

What nuclear risks do the current India-Pakistan hostilities pose?

International concern is mounting over the India-Pakistan conflict – as both are armed with substantial nuclear arsenals.

Atomic bombs have only been used twice – 80 years ago on Japan.

What nuclear risks do the current hostilities pose?

Pakistan says the ‘whole world’ will know when it responds to India’s attack

There has been an intensification of tit-for-tat artillery duels along the Line of Control that separates both India- and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. There’s been casualties on the Pakistani side of the Line of Control as well.

The Pakistani military spokesman said that India should move away from cinema and into the real world after the Indians announced there were attacks across India along the bordering regions. Pakistan said that when it does carry out that attack, the whole world will find out.

Now Pakistan, of course, is under pressure to respond. They’ve told the Americans that Pakistan will respond as an act of self-defence.

Yesterday, what happened was something that was unacceptable, another provocation from India. Pakistan shot down almost 30 Israeli suicide drones – supplied to India – in several locations across the country, from the south to the north.

So Pakistan has still not responded.

There were also reports by Indian media that a Pakistani F-16 had been shot down and that a pilot had been captured. However, it is important to note that there is a user agreement with the United States in which Pakistan cannot use American F-16 fighters against India. That is an end-user agreement.

So the Indian claims are being seen as a propaganda campaign here in Pakistan.  However the situation remains tense.

Tensions are running very high and everybody is now anticipating a Pakistani response, which Pakistan says will come at a place and time of its choosing.

Pakistan says Economic Affairs Ministry’s X account hacked

Pakistan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs said its social media account was hacked after a post was published on X calling on international partners to provide loans to Pakistan amid rising tensions with neighbouring India, the Reuters news agency reports.

“We are working to have the Twitter [X] switched off,” the ministry told Reuters, adding that they “did not tweet” about it.

Earlier, both Indian and Pakistani media and information watchdogs flagged the barrage of misinformation linked to the ongoing tensions between the two countries.

If you’re just joining us

Here’s what you need to know:

• The Indian army has claimed that Pakistan’s armed forces launched multiple attacks using drones and other weapons along India’s western border on Thursday night and Friday morning.
• Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has again denied that Pakistan launched attacks on targets in Indian-administered Kashmir on Thursday, calling claims of attacks “baseless” as he questioned footage published by Indian media.
• Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, has said there has been contact with India at the national security level, but called for escalations in “actions” and “rhetoric” to stop.
• The Indian government has ordered X to block users in the country from accessing more than 8,000 accounts, the social media platform said, as New Delhi continues its crackdown on Pakistan-related content.
• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed concern that tensions between India and Pakistan “will turn into a hot conflict”, as he backed an “international investigation” into the Pahalgam attack.

More details from Pakistan media on drone attacks

Pakistan’s Dawn news outlet has provided more details on the wave of drone attacks launched from India on Thursday.

Dawn quoted the military as saying that the areas where drones were intercepted included Lahore, Attock, Gujranwala, Chakwal, Rawalpindi, and Bahawalpur in Punjab province, as well as Sukkur, Umerkot and Karachi in Sindh province.

One person was confirmed killed and another injured in Miano near the Line of Control with Indian-administered Kashmir, Dawn quoted Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the military’s chief spokesperson, as saying.

Two people were also killed in Attock and Rawalpindi, Dawn reported citing police.

Prime Minister Modi under ‘immense pressure’ to target Pakistan

Masood Akhtar, a national security analyst and former air marshal in the Pakistani air force, has said that people in Pakistan “thought that it was all over” after India bombed the country on Wednesday.

But Akhtar told Al Jazeera that Wednesday’s attack “wasn’t enough” for many in India.

“As of now, there is immense pressure on the Indian Prime Minister [Narendra Modi] to continue to act, to ratchet up the pressure [on Pakistan],” he said.

Inside Muridke: Did India hit a ‘terror base’ or a mosque?

The Indian strike on Pakistan’s city of Muridke this week was a part of Operation Sindoor, the most expansive aerial attacks on Pakistan outside the four wars that the two nuclear-armed neighbours have fought.

And of all the sites targeted by India, Muridke was particularly significant.

Muridke has long been believed to be home to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) armed group, which India and other countries have blamed for carrying out deadly attacks on Indian soil, including the November 2008 attacks in Mumbai.

But Pakistan said only civilians were killed in the Indian missile strikes on Muridke.

Read the full report on the attack by Al Jazeera’s Abid Hussain here.

India accuses Pakistan of carrying out more drone attacks, committing ‘numerous ceasefire violations’

The Indian army has claimed that Pakistan’s armed forces launched multiple attacks using drones and other weapons along India’s western border on Thursday night and Friday morning.

The army said Pakistan also “resorted to numerous ceasefire violations” along the Line of Control (LoC) between Indian- and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

“The drone attacks were effectively repulsed,” the military said in a post on X, adding that it gave a “befitting reply”, without providing details.

Pakistan has denied carrying out any cross-border attacks over recent days.

Human rights lawyer denounces India’s decision to block social media accounts

In a post on social media, Arjun Sethi, a civil and human rights advocate, called India a leader in “the world in digital authoritarianism”.

India had earlier ordered X to block more than 8,000 accounts, the platform said it was reluctantly complying with what it described as government-imposed “censorship”, amid its escalating conflict with neighbouring Pakistan.

Sethi, who is also an expert on surveillance issues at Georgetown University, noted that blocked accounts include human rights defenders and international news outlets.

India has also banned over a dozen Pakistani YouTube channels, including several news outlets, accusing them of spreading “provocative” content, as well as the Instagram account of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan, according to The Hindustan Times.

Editor’s Choice: What to read and watch right now

We’ve published several stories covering the escalating tension between India and Pakistan over the past day, including:

• Explainer: Have India and Pakistan started a drone war?
• News: ‘No deterrent value’ – Will India’s strikes on Pakistan stop armed attacks?
• Feature: ‘Don’t want war’ – Kashmiri towns caught in deadly India-Pakistan crossfire
• Watch: What’s going on between India and Pakistan?

South Asia expert warns against spread of disinformation amid India-Pakistan tensions

Earlier, we reported on the spread of misinformation and rumours linked to the escalating conflict between India and Pakistan.

Michael Kugelman, a South Asia analyst and writer for Foreign Policy magazine, said that disinformation regarding the conflict “is escalating as rapidly as the hostilities”.

“Both are very dangerous for different reasons,” he said in a social media post, urging the public to follow reliable sources of information and fact-checkers.

“At moments like this, their work is absolutely critical.”

Turkiye’s Erdogan backs international probe on Pahalgam attack

In a statement posted on social media, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed concern that the escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan “will turn into a hot conflict”, which could result in the deaths of many civilians.

After a telephone conversation with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Erdogan said that he found Islamabad’s proposal “for an international investigation into the heinous terrorist attack” in Pahalgam, in India-administered Kashmir, “valuable”.

The attack in April killed at least 26 civilians and ignited the current tension between India and Pakistan after New Delhi laid the blame for the killings on Islamabad.

“Although there are those who want to pour gasoline into the fire, we in Turkiye are making every effort to reduce tensions and open channels of dialogue before events reach a point of no return,” Erdogan wrote on X.

India-Pakistan drone war heats up

Pakistan’s military says it brought down 25 Indian drones over cities including Karachi and Lahore.

India says Pakistan had targeted India and Indian-administered Kashmir with drones and missiles that were shot down.

The exchanges are fuelling fears of a new phase in the ongoing tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

X to comply with Indian order to block more than 8,000 accounts

The Indian government has ordered X to block users in the country from accessing more than 8,000 accounts, the social media platform said, as New Delhi continues its sweeping crackdown on Pakistan-related social media content.

“X has received executive orders from the Indian government requiring X to block over 8,000 accounts in India, subject to potential penalties including significant fines and imprisonment of the company’s local employees,” the site’s global government affairs team said in a statement.

The Elon Musk-owned platform said the order includes demands to block international news organisations and other prominent users. The company did not provide details. It also added that the Indian government had not specified which posts violated Indian law and provided little evidence or justification for the demand to blocks accounts.

“Blocking entire accounts is not only unnecessary, it amounts to censorship of existing and future content, and is contrary to the fundamental right of free speech,” the X statement said.

“This is not an easy decision, however keeping the platform accessible in India is vital to Indians’ ability to access information,” it added.

The move by X comes a day after Instagram owner Meta also banned Indian users from accessing a prominent Muslim news page on the platform at New Delhi’s request.

More on Pakistan’s decision to move cricket matches to UAE

Earlier, we reported that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to move the remaining eight matches of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) to the United Arab Emirates due to growing security concerns amid increasing tensions with India.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the country’s interior minister, said the decision was reached for the sake of the safety of players.

“The PCB has always stood by the position that politics and sports need to be kept apart,” he said.

“However, in view of the extremely irresponsible and dangerous Indian act of targeting the stadium, the PCB has taken this decision,” Naqvi was quoted as saying in the statement issued by the board.

Several drones were reportedly launched by India on Thursday morning, including at least three on Pakistan’s Rawalpindi city, one of which was reported to have come down within the compound of Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, which is currently hosting Pakistan Super League matches.

Pakistan’s US envoy says India, Pakistan have had contact at national security level

Pakistan’s ambassador to the US, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, said there has been contact at the level of national security, but called for the escalation “both in terms of the actions that have been taken and in terms of rhetoric that is coming out” to stop.

“Now the responsibility for de-escalation is on India, but there are constraints on restraint. Pakistan reserves the right to respond back. There is enough pressure from our public opinion on the government to respond,” he said in an interview with CNN.

What are India and Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities?

India carried out its first nuclear test in May 1974, and in May 1998, conducted another five tests, declaring itself a nuclear weapons state.

Pakistan carried out its first nuclear tests shortly after India’s in 1998, officially becoming a nuclear weapons state.

Since then, the two born together, star-crossed nations have been engaged in an arms race that has cost them billions of dollars.

A recap of recent developments

As tensions soar between India and Pakistan, misinformation and unconfirmed rumours of attacks were rife on both sides of the Radcliffe Line.

Here’s what you need to know:

• The Pakistani military has claimed India fired attack drones into Pakistan on Thursday, killing at least two civilians. Pakistan’s military has also said it has downed 25 Indian drones over its territory.
• India has claimed Pakistan attacked Akhnoor, Samba, Kathua and multiple other locations in Jammu in Indian-administered Kashmir.
• India also claimed that Pakistan has fired missiles and drones at military stations in Jammu, Pathankot and Udhampur, close to the countries’ shared border.
• Indian media has also reported that a Pakistani air force pilot was captured by Indian security forces after ejecting from his fighter jet over the city of Jaisalmer.
• Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has denied that Pakistan launched any attacks in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, saying the country’s military has not fired “across [the] international border”. He also denied a Pakistani pilot had been captured.
• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in calls with leaders of both India and Pakistan, “emphasised the need for immediate de-escalation”, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.

Welcome to our coverage

Hello, and thank you for joining our coverage of the fighting between India and Pakistan after the deadly attack in Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir last month.

Follow this page for up-to-the-minute updates on the latest developments, along with context and analysis.

Three civilians killed by Pakistani artillery fire, Indian army says

India’s army says three civilians were killed overnight by Pakistani artillery fire.

The Pakistani army “resorted to arbitrary firing” across the Line of Control, the de facto border dividing Kashmir, the army said in a statement.

“Three innocent civilians lost their lives in indiscriminate firing/shelling”, the army said, adding that Indian forces were “responding in proportionate manner”.

Pakistan’s PM condemns ‘cowardly attack’ on X

Pakistan’s prime minister is back on X condemning India’s “cowardly” and “unprovoked” attack.

“Pakistan reserves the absolute right to respond decisively to this unprovoked Indian attack — a resolute response is already under way,” Sharif wrote, according to a translation.

“The entire nation stands united behind its armed forces, and our morale and resolve remain unshaken,” he added.

Ramification of major armed conflict between Pakistan, India ‘devastating for both countries’

There is a risk of further escalation because, with the India-Pakistan equation, there is always a tit-for-tat.

Pakistan had said that it would respond forcefully.

Pakistan had also said that any attempt by India to divert the waters of the major rivers that are on the western side of the Indus River chain – and that includes the Chenab – that any river being diverted or water being cut off would be construed as an act of war.

The Indians have already resorted to that. We have reports that at least one major river, the Chenab, the Indians are holding water back and say that they will not release that water.

So that is a dangerous escalation because this is an existential threat. Pakistan is an agricultural country. It relies heavily on agriculture for its revenue and food security and Pakistani politicians, of course, have been saying that if the Indians stop those rivers, then those rivers will flow with blood.

So, at least at this moment, there should be caution by both sides. These are nuclear-armed states.

The ramifications of any major conflict between the two would be devastating for both countries.

Airlines, including Air India and Qatar Airways, suspend or divert flights

A growing list of airlines are suspending or rerouting flights.

Air India has announced the cancellation of all flights to and from nine cities, including Jammu, Srinagar and Leh in Indian-administered Kashmir, Jamnagar, Rajkot and Bhujuj in the western Indian state of Gujarat, and Amritsar in the northwestern Indian state of Punjab.

The airline said the routes would be suspended until midday on Wednesday, pending updates from authorities.

India’s SpiceJet and IndiGo have said that flights to and from destinations in northern India, including Jammu and  Dharamshala, have been affected.

Pakistan International Airlines has announced the diversion of already airborne flights to Karachi.

Qatar Airways has temporarily suspended flights to Pakistan due to the closure of Pakistani airspace.

Schools closed in Pakistan’s Punjab province

Maryam Nawaz Sharif, chief minister of the Pakistani province of Punjab, says that educational institutions will remain closed tomorrow “in view of public safety”.

Sharif said that examinations in universities and colleges would also be postponed, with the exception of tests administered by international examining bodies.

Rubio says monitoring situation closely

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he is “monitoring the situation between India and Pakistan closely.”

“I echo [Trump’s] comments earlier today that this hopefully ends quickly and will continue to engage both Indian and Pakistani leadership towards a peaceful resolution,” Rubio wrote in a post on X.

As we reported earlier, the Indian Embassy in Washington, DC said India had briefed Rubio shortly after the attacks against Pakistan.

Pakistan ‘not mincing its words’, confirms attacks on Indian military targets

Pakistani  Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, speaking to a foreign TV network, confirmed that at least five Indian aircraft have been shot down and that several Indian soldiers have been taken prisoner.

This is according to the Pakistani defence minister.

Pakistan said that it would respond to any Indian attack against Pakistan, and Pakistan is now responding to that Indian attack.

We are told that at least one infantry brigade headquarters has been destroyed. Heavy shelling has now resumed on the Line of Control that separates Pakistan-administered Kashmir from Indian-administered Kashmir.

Pakistan and India were both warned by the United States and friendly countries, including the United Nations secretary-general, who had asked both countries to exercise maximum restraint.

The Indian side said that they struck non-military targets but Pakistan is not mincing its words, saying that they had attacked Indian military targets in reprisal for what Pakistan says was an attack on innocent civilians.

People across Pakistan are now on the streets. They were woken up after that Indian strike.

A state of emergency was declared in the hospitals. All hospital staff have been asked to report to duty and that is the same situation in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

Airports closed in Indian-administered Kashmir, northern India

India’s NDTV broadcaster is reporting that the airport in Srinagar, the largest city in Indian-administered Kashmir, has been closed to civilians.

India’s IndiGo airline has also advised passengers that flights to and from several airports are being affected by “changing airspace conditions in the region”.

According to IndiGo, the airports affected include Srinagar and Leh, in Indian-administered Kashmir, as well as Amritsar, Chandigarh, Bikaner, and Dharamshala, in northern India.

India’s SpiceJet also said, in a post on X, that airports in “parts of northern India” were closed “due to ongoing situation”.

UAE foreign minister urges restraint

In a statement, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed has called on both India and Pakistan to “exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions, and avoid further escalation that could threaten regional and international peace”.

Zayed “reaffirmed that diplomacy and dialogue remain the most effective means of peacefully resolving crises, and achieving the shared aspirations of nations for peace, stability, and prosperity”, the statement said.

At least 8 killed in Pakistan as six locations targeted by Indian missiles: ISPR chief

Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) of Pakistan’s armed forces, delivered a brief late-night press conference in which he revealed that at least eight Pakistanis were killed and at least 35 more were injured in Indian missile attacks.

Chaudhry said that India’s military targeted six different locations in Pakistan, launching a total of 24 strikes.

The biggest attack was in Ahmedpur Sharqia, near Bahawalpur city in Punjab province. According to Chaudhry, a mosque compound was targeted and five people were killed, including a 3-year-old girl.

Other attacks took place in Muridke city, a village near the city of Sialkot, and Shakargarh, also in Punjab province.

Two locations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir – in Muzzafarabad and Kotli – were also targeted and two mosques were destroyed. A 16-year-old girl and an 18-year-old boy were killed in the attacks.

The military spokesperson did not provide any information regarding earlier claims of the downing of Indian jets.

Pakistan’s Defense Minister claims more planes shot down, soldiers captured

Speaking to Bloomberg TV, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Asif said that Pakistan has shot down five Indian planes and has also taken some Indian soldiers prisoner.

We’ve been reporting on Pakistan’s claims it has shot down Indian fighter jets, but Indian officials have yet to comment.

Pakistan says 2 mosques targeted in India strikes

A Pakistani military spokesman told the broadcaster Geo that sites struck by India included two mosques.

Pakistan’s defence minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, told Geo that all sites targeted by India were civilian and not infrastructure of armed groups. He said India’s claim of targeting “camps of terrorists is false”.

India blamed Pakistan for violence in Indian-administered Kashmir last month, in which 26 men were killed, and had promised to respond. Pakistan denied it had anything to do with the killings and said it had intelligence that India was planning to attack.

Pakistani minister claims downed third Indian jet, drone

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar now says that a third Indian jet, as well as an Indian drone, have been “shot down by Pakistan.”

“Pakistan has befittingly retaliated against Indian Aggression,” Tarar said in a post on X.

There was no immediate comment from India.

Pakistan’s military ‘response is under way’ to Indian attack

Pakistan’s military ‘response is under way’ to Indian attack

Reports have come in, confirmed by Pakistani military sources, that at least two [Indian] aircraft were shot down. We are now getting reports of a possible third fixed-wing aircraft also being shot down.

The Indian attack unfolded just after midnight [Wednesday] local Pakistan time [19:00 GMT on Tuesday]. We were able to observe a number of fighter aircraft… we could hear the noise of possible Pakistani aircraft on their way towards the Indian positions because now, we are told that Pakistan is giving its response. That response is under way.

Pakistani sources are also now saying that they have destroyed a brigade headquarters.

I spoke to one of our reporters in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. He said there was heavy shelling going on along the Line of Control. That the civilian population was leaving those areas and, of course, an emergency has also been declared in Pakistani-administer Kashmir.

In hospitals, all staff leave has been cancelled.

India briefed US after missile attack on Pakistan

Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval briefed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio shortly after the attacks against Pakistan, the Indian Embassy in Washington, DC, says.

“India’s actions have been focused and precise,” the embassy said in a statement.

It added that Rubio, who is also Trump’s acting US national security adviser, had been briefed “on the actions taken”.

Pakistan speaks of ‘crushing response’

In a social media post, Pakistan’s information minister, Attaullah Tarar, accused India of carrying out “cowardly attacks on innocent civilians and mosques”.

India said it had hit “terrorist infrastructure”, claiming it struck sites where attacks against it were planned and directed.

In his post, Tarar said that “the Armed Forces of Pakistan are delivering a crushing response, exactly in line with the sentiments of the people”, without offering details.

“This nation will hold the enemy accountable for every single drop of its martyrs’ blood,” he added.

How many wars have India and Pakistan fought?

Four – three of them over Kashmir.

Two months after the end of the British rule and emergence of the two South Asian nations, a war over Kashmir erupted between them. Pakistani militias invaded Kashmir, then ruled by a Hindu king, to claim full control over the region. The king, Hari Singh, pleaded with India for help. New Delhi agreed on condition that Singh would sign an instrument of accession, merging Kashmir with India. The king agreed. The war ended in 1948, and a ceasefire agreement allowing India and Pakistan to control parts of Kashmir came into effect on January 1, 1949.

In 1965, a clash between Indian and Pakistani border forces escalated into a full-blown war. Pakistani forces crossed the ceasefire line into Indian-administered Kashmir, while Indian forces crossed the international border into Pakistan’s Lahore city and launched attacks. After thousands of casualties on both sides, a UN Security Council resolution ended the war.

In 1971, Pakistan and India were embroiled in an armed conflict over then East Pakistan, which Indian forces helped liberate, leading to the establishment of Bangladesh as a nation. In 1972, India and Pakistan signed the Simla Agreement, which established a Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border dividing Kashmir into two parts.

In 1999, Pakistani soldiers crossed the LoC, sparking a war in Kargil area of Indian-administered Kashmir. Indian troops were able to push Pakistani soldiers back after bloody battles in the snowy heights of the Ladakh region.

The show, by the well-known fashion brand Shivan & Narresh, was held last Friday at a ski resort in Gulmarg to display their skiwear collection. The label is the first big, non-local brand to hold a fashion show in Kashmir, a scenic Himalayan region which has seen decades of violence.

But it soon sparked outrage among locals, politicians and religious leaders in Muslim-majority Kashmir after fashion publisher Elle India posted a video on social media which showed some models wearing underwear or bikinis. Locals were also angry over another video – shared by online magazine Lifestyle Asia – of a party held after the show, which showed people drinking alcohol outdoors.

Many took offence with the show being held in the holy month of Ramadan – a time of fasting and prayer for Muslims – and accused the designers of “mocking their faith” and “disregarding local culture and sentiments”. Some clerics called the show “obscene” and said it was like “soft porn”.

Some others explained that the outrage had arisen not only from religious conservatism, but also from a fear of cultural imposition from “outsiders”. Kashmir has witnessed decades of armed separatist insurgency against Indian rule since the late 1980s.

The backlash prompted Elle India and Lifestyle Asia to delete their videos. Shivan Bhatiya and Narresh Kukreja, the designers behind the label, also apologised, saying that their “sole intention was to celebrate creativity” and that they didn’t intend to offend religious sentiments.

Kashmir – known as the land of saints and Sufism (Islamic mysticism) – has a rich tradition of spirituality which influences many aspects of peoples’ lives. The traditional attire is modest, with locals – both men and women – often wearing the pheran, a long, loose cloak.

The row also moved off social media and a discussion about the show and the after-party caused a ruckus in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly.

The opposition criticised the government, accusing it of giving permission for the event despite being aware of local sensitivities. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah distanced his government from the event, saying it had been organised by private entities, and asking local authorities to investigate the matter and submit a report.

“If law has been violated, strict action will be taken,” he said in the assembly on Monday. The police have not yet given details about who organised the event and what laws, if any, have been violated.

The fashion brand did not respond to the BBC’s questions about the show, including about permissions it obtained.

It’s not surprising that scenic Gulmarg – one of India’s few skiing destinations and a favourite with tourists – was the choice of venue for a show highlighting a skiwear collection.

Fashion journalist Shefalee Vasudev says it’s not uncommon for designers to want to hold fashion shows in exquisite locations.

In fact, international designers like Alexander McQueen and Karl Lagerfeld are remembered as much for their creative, theatrical fashion shows as they are for their iconic designs.

But experimentation brings with it the risk of controversy and so, it’s important to be mindful of the political and cultural sensitivities of a place, Ms Vasudev told the BBC.

And this holds especially true in a place like Kashmir, which has witnessed wars and decades of armed conflict.

Both India and Pakistan claim Kashmir in full but control it only in parts. Since India’s partition and the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the nuclear-armed neighbours have fought two wars over the territory.

Thousands of people have been killed since the late 1980s, when a separatist insurgency broke out against Indian rule. Though the separatist movement has lost steam over the years, many locals continue to view the administration in Delhi with distrust.

These sentiments have deepened since 2019 when the federal government, led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, stripped the region of its autonomy.

So some locals told the BBC that they were not surprised by the reactions to the show.

“Everything in Kashmir is political; people see things through a political prism,” says Mir, a professor at a local university (he asked for his surname to be withheld to protect his identity). He adds that people are sceptical about big corporate events like the fashion show and – even if they are organised by private players – they believe that the government is trying to dilute their culture.

Arshid Ahmad, a researcher, uses stronger words to express public angst. “The government is trying to dilute the spirit of resistance in Kashmiris,” he says.

This isn’t the first time an event held by non-locals has triggered a controversy in Kashmir. In 2013, separatists and human rights activists in the region protested against a show by renowned conductor Zubin Mehta. They said it was an attempt by the government to show the world that all was well in Kashmir when people were “suffering and dying”.

Some of the recent apprehensions around culture and identity can also be tied to the increase in tourists to Kashmir from other states in India. The federal government has often connected this boom in tourism to the abrogation of Article 370, which stripped the region of its autonomy.

Nousheen Fatima, 34, says because of government messaging, people outside Kashmir now see the region as being safer and “more assimilated with India”. But she alleges that many tourists do not respect the region’s culture.

Last year, a video showing tourists drinking alcohol during a boat ride on the famous Dal Lake in Srinagar evoked outrage from political and religious leaders, who called the behaviour “un-Islamic and unethical”.

In February, locals put up posters in Srinagar, asking tourists to “respect local culture and traditions” and “avoid alcohol and use of drugs”, but these were later pulled down by the police.

In an editorial for The Voice of Fashion magazine, Ms Vasudev argues that the outrage needs to be examined from a critical lens. She asks if it would have been all right for the show to have been held in another Indian city instead of Kashmir, where Muslims would also be observing Ramadan. And whether it would have been acceptable to hold the show in Kashmir if it featured only outfits perceived as modest.

She also points out that Kashmir is home to the “world’s finest wool yarn; some of the finest handspun, handwoven pashmina creations and its artisans”.

“What Kashmir creates and stands for cannot be replicated anywhere. Shouldn’t a fashion show at Gulmarg then, with innovative garments made with 100% wool, be seen as regenerating interest in untried ways?” she asks.