Pakistan 'will not de-escalate' in clash with India

Pakistan's military said on Friday it "will not de-escalate" from soaring tension with India as both sides reported another exchange of fire.

India said its neighbour had launched at least 300 drones and fired "heavy-calibre weapons" near the Pakistani border overnight. It said the fighting was endangering civilian aircraft, highlighting a flight from Dammam in Saudi Arabia to Karachi that could have been in the firing line.

It said the Indian military had shown "considerable restraint" to prevent harm to passenger air traffic. The Pakistani military meanwhile reported an hour-long air battle as it vowed not to back down.

"We will not de-escalate, with the damages they did on our side they should take a hit," Pakistan's military spokesman Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Friday. "So far we have been protecting ourselves but they will get an answer in our own timing."

Pakistani forces launched several attacks using drones and other munitions along India's western border overnight, the Indian army said.

The Indian army also said Pakistani troops had resorted to "numerous ceasefire violations" along the countries' de facto border in Kashmir, a region that is divided between India and Pakistan but claimed in full by both.

"The drone attacks were effectively repulsed and befitting reply was given to the CFVs [ceasefire violations]," the army said, adding that all "nefarious designs" would be responded to with force.

There was no immediate response from Pakistan to the Indian statement. Islamabad had earlier denied attacking Pathankot city in India's Punjab state, Srinagar in the Kashmir valley and Rajasthan state's Jaisalmer. The accusations were "unfounded" and "politically motivated", Pakistan said.

Five civilians were killed in Indian shelling overnight in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, a government official said on Friday, after days of exchanges between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

The deaths were reported in areas near the heavily militarised border known as the Line of Control that separates the Kashmir region between India and Pakistan.

A rally in solidarity with the Indian army took place in New Delhi on Friday. EPA

"Indian forces shelled civilian areas... resulting in the deaths of four people, including a two-year-old girl and injuring 12 others," police official Adeel Khan, based in Kotli district, told the AFP, adding that the shelling continued late into the night.

The violence began when India carried out strikes against Pakistan on Wednesday after a terrorist attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22, which New Delhi has blamed on Islamabad.

India and Pakistan, both nuclear-armed nations, have fought three wars over Kashmir, the last in 1999 that lasted two months. More than 500 Indian soldiers were killed, while estimates of Pakistani losses range from 400 to about 4,000.

There have been regular skirmishes and cross-border fire since then but the nations agreed to a ceasefire in 2021, which was broken after the Pahalgam terrorist attack. Armed gunmen killed 26 people were in the Himalayan picnic spot in the Kashmir valley.

The Resistance Front, an extremist group, claimed responsibility. New Delhi accuses Islamabad of backing militant groups in Kashmir, a charge denied by Pakistan.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey said Ankara was making “every effort” to reduce tensions and open channels of dialogue before further escalation between India and Pakistan, following a call with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Wednesday.

Mr Erdogan accused unspecified actors of, “pouring fuel on the fire.”

Turkey supports Pakistan's international investigation into what Mr Erdogan described as the “heinous terrorist attack” in Indian-administered Kashmir, which was claimed by the Resistance Front, a militant group, and left 25 Indians and one Nepali national dead.

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme

Priority access to new homes from participating developers
Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
Flexible payment plans from developers
Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates

ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.

MORE FROM ED HUSAIN: The UAE-Israel accord is a win for every Muslim

COMPANY%20PROFILE

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EQureos%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2021%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E33%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESoftware%20and%20technology%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%243%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat

Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

Volvo ES90 Specs

Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

Lebanon’s interior minister says he killed two people in civil war

Lebanon crisis: Druze leader Walid Joumblatt warns of 'hunger revolt'

New low for Lebanese pound triggers fresh protests

UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

Key facilities

Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

Company profile

Name: Dukkantek

Started: January 2021

Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani

Based: UAE

Number of employees: 140

Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)

Investment: $5.2 million

Funding stage: Seed round

Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office