Islamabad: Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Friday said the government is engaged in daily diplomatic contacts with countries, including Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, China, and Qatar, in efforts to de-escalate the situation in the region.
Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, Asif also claimed that the recent drone attacks by India were intended for reconnaissance purposes rather than immediate strikes, the Express Tribune newspaper reported.
Indian drones were allowed to enter a “safe limit” before intercepting and neutralising them to avoid compromising sensitive locations, he claimed.
Minister for Information Atta Tarar claimed that at least 29 drones were intercepted since Wednesday until Thursday evening, with an additional 48 shot down overnight and into Friday.
India, however, on Friday said that Pakistan sent 300-400 drones in 36 locations from Leh to Sir Creek last night to target Indian military installations and the drones were shot down by the Indian military.
Tensions between India and Pakistan soared significantly following India’s Operation Sindoor on early Wednesday in response to the Pahalgam attack on April 22 that had cross-border linkages and Pakistan’s subsequent unsuccessful attempt to attack 15 Indian cities.
Asif said that the government is engaged in daily diplomatic contacts with countries including Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, China, and Qatar, in efforts to de-escalate the situation. His comments came as Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir arrived in Islamabad after a visit to New Delhi.