Pak military, civil leaders brief political parties on tensions with New Delhi

The civil and military leadership of Pakistan has briefed the country’s political parties on tensions with India in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.

All political parties barring former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaf party attended the in-camera briefing on Sunday, the Dawn newspaper reported.

The political leaders vowed a robust response if India resorted to any “misadventure”, the paper quoted a source privy to the briefing as saying.

The briefing was given by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.

Iran’s foreign minister urged India and Pakistan on Monday to exercise restraint as he arrived in Islamabad for a one-day visit. “We seek de-escalation and urge all parties to exercise restraint and avoid increasing tensions,” Iranian FM Abbas Araqchi told reporters on arrival in here.

Later, Pakistan’s parliament unanimously passed a resolution, condemning the Indian government's “mala fide campaign” to malign Pakistan in the aftermath of Pahalgam terror attack.

‘Fatah’ missile tested

Pakistan on Monday conducted a successful training launch of the ‘Fatah series’ surface-to-surface missile with a range of 120 kilometres.

The media wing of the army said in a statement that a “Fatah Series” was tested as a part of the ongoing exercise “INDUS”.

Hafiz Saeed group’s offshoot holds rally

Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), the political offshoot of the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) of the Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, held an anti-India rally in Lahore and demanded his immediate release from jail. The PMML supporters started the rally on tractors and motorcycles on Lahore’s Mall Road, where the government has placed a ban on public gatherings.