Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the UK, Mohammad Faisal, says Islamabad prefers peace but will respond to Indian strikes following a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.
In a tense and revealing interview with Sky News presenter Yalda Hakim, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Mohammad Faisal, warned that while Pakistan’s first preference is peace.
Faisal stated, “Pakistan’s first choice was always peace, but India chose aggression, launching attacks without presenting credible evidence.” The High Commissioner accused India of violating Pakistani sovereignty and claimed that recent Indian missile strikes killed 37 civilians and injured 58 others.
Faisal rejected India’s justification for its strikes, which cited retaliatory action against militant infrastructure in Pakistan following a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. He emphasised that past efforts to investigate cross-border terrorism, such as the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the 2016 Uri attack, and the 2019 Pulwama incident, had failed due to a lack of cooperation from the Indian government.
“How can we collaborate when they’re throwing missiles at our territory?” he questioned, highlighting the difficulty of pursuing diplomacy amidst military aggression.
The most recent escalation comes after a devastating ambush in Indian-administered Kashmir in April that claimed the lives of 26 Indian soldiers. The Indian government swiftly accused militant groups based in Pakistan of carrying out the attack, describing it as a planned act of cross-border terrorism. India responded by launching a series of targeted attacks against what it called “terror infrastructure” in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, which it termed “Operation Sindoor.” Pakistan has denounced the strikes as a breach of its sovereignty and denied any role in the April attack.
Responding to these remarks, BJP spokesperson Jaiveer Singh issued a sharp rebuttal, asserting, “India is the face of the global South, while Pakistan remains the face of global terrorism. We will not tolerate it—we will slam it.”
The heated exchange reflects growing fears of renewed conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. The international community has called for restraint, with the United Nations and the United Kingdom urging both sides to step back from the brink.
As tensions rise, Islamabad continues to maintain that any response will be “civil” but firm. The High Commissioner’s comments suggest Pakistan is preparing for a calibrated but resolute countermeasure to what it views as unprovoked Indian aggression.
