The skies over Kashmir darkened last night, not just with missiles and shelling, but with a deepening fear shared by millions across the region. A tragic series of events unfolded as Indian missiles struck areas in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, killing at least 19 people and injuring 38 more. In response, Pakistani forces reportedly shelled Indian-controlled areas, with seven civilians killed and dozens more wounded.
The violence follows a horrific attack last month in Indian-administered Kashmir that left 22 tourists dead—a massacre India has linked to Pakistan, though Islamabad strongly denies involvement.
As the world watches with growing concern, UK officials are stepping in to offer support—not by choosing sides, but by extending a hand to both nations. Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, speaking on the BBC this morning, described the situation as “hugely worrying” and confirmed that Foreign Secretary David Lammy has reached out to both India and Pakistan, as well as to key international partners in the US and Europe.
“We are friends to both countries,” Reynolds said. “We want to see peace, not war. Stability, not escalation. Dialogue, not destruction.”
The UK Foreign Office has updated its travel guidance, strongly advising against travel near the India-Pakistan border, the Line of Control in Kashmir, and Pakistan’s Balochistan province. Pakistan, meanwhile, has closed its airspace for at least 48 hours, leaving many travelers stranded and anxious.
The human cost is already heartbreaking. In Pakistan’s Punjab province, a missile struck the Subhan Mosque in Bahawalpur, killing 13 people, including a child. In India’s Poonch district, civilians were caught in shelling described as “arbitrary” by the Indian army. Retaliatory strikes and rising military actions are fanning fears of a full-scale war.
Voices from around the UK, including Scottish First Minister John Swinney and Labour MP Stella Creasy, have expressed deep concern, while Lord Ahmad starkly warned that “the potential for war tonight is real.”
The United Nations has called for maximum restraint, reminding the world what’s truly at stake: human lives. “The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a late-night statement.
As bombs fall and lives are lost, the call for peace grows louder. Now more than ever, the world needs calm heads and open hearts.
