Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has defended India’s recent missile strikes on alleged terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan, calling the attacks “justified” amid growing fears of a broader conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
Sunak’s remarks came as Pakistan condemned the strikes—which killed at least 26 people including a child—as an “act of war.” The retaliation from Pakistan was swift, with shelling reported across the Line of Control (LoC), killing seven civilians on the Indian side, according to Indian authorities. Pakistani officials also claimed to have downed five Indian fighter jets. Posting on X, Sunak said: “No nation should have to accept terrorist attacks being launched against it from land controlled by another country. India is justified in striking terrorist infrastructure. There can be no impunity for terrorists.” The strikes by Delhi—dubbed Operation Sindoor—were in response to last month’s massacre of tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir. Indian officials said the missile attacks were “focused, measured, and non-escalatory,” targeting non-military assets linked to terrorist groups in eastern Punjab and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.
However, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif rejected those claims, stating that the missiles hit civilian zones. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warned that India’s “heinous act of aggression will not go unpunished.” Labour leader and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer struck a more measured tone, urging restraint. “Rising tensions between India and Pakistan will be of serious concern for many across Britain,” he said during Prime Minister’s Questions. “We are engaging urgently with both countries… encouraging dialogue, de-escalation, and the protection of civilians.” Graphic footage circulating online shows massive fireballs erupting at strike sites in Pakistan’s Punjab region. The UN has warned of dire global consequences if hostilities escalate. Secretary-General António Guterres described the situation as one the “world cannot afford” to ignore.
With civilian casualties mounting—more than two dozen reported in Pakistan and at least 10 in India—international observers are watching closely as diplomatic efforts intensify to prevent the crisis from spiralling into full-scale war.
