Pakistan military accuses India of 'cooking up stories' about Pakistan attacks on military targets
Four civilians were killed in Indian shelling overnight in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, the police said on Friday.
A member of the Crime Scene Unit (CSU), inspects the fragments, of what they say is a drone, after it was brought down on the outskirts of Karachi, Pakistan, on May 8, 2025. (Photo: Reuters/Imran Ali)
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military on Thursday (May 8) accused India of "cooking up stories" after it alleged Pakistan had launched drone and missile attacks on military stations across India-administered Kashmir.
Pakistan denied that it had launched any strikes on India on Thursday, with the top military spokesman terming India's drone strikes a "phantom defence".
"India has created a hype since yesterday about Pakistan attacking 15 locations," said Pakistan military spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry.
"It is such a fantastic and cooked-up story. You can just laugh about it. I'll ask a few questions on this. The first question is, is the Indian government and their armed forces, are they living in the 18th century or 21st century? Because in 21st century, every projectile leaves a digital trace and signature."
According to Pakistan news outlet Dawn, the military spokesperson showed a series of pictures of drone debris during the press briefing.
He added that the debris and downed drones were being collected from multiple locations.
At least 48 people have been killed on both sides of the border since India launched air strikes on Wednesday that it said targeted "terrorist camps", sparking the worst violence in decades between the South Asian neighbours.
The majority of the casualties have been in Pakistan.
Four civilians were killed in Indian shelling overnight in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, the police said on Friday.
"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 deaths were confirmed by a senior government official based in Muzaffarabad.
Pakistan's army said it shot down 28Â out of 29 Israeli-made Harop drones that crossed into the country on Thursday.
New Delhi claimed it destroyed an air defence system in Lahore.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said the drones "made attempts to attack military installations" and "targeted civilians", killing one and injuring four, with four army personnel also wounded.
Among the cities targeted was Rawalpindi, where the military is headquartered. The city's cricket stadium was one of the venues of the Pakistan Super League, which later announced its remaining eight matches would be moved to the United Arab Emirates.
Residents in Lahore reported hearing the sound of blasts, and aviation authorities briefly shut down operations at the main airport there and in the capital Islamabad.
Diplomats and world leaders have pressured both countries to step back from the brink.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with leaders in both countries Thursday and urged "immediate de-escalation", his spokeswoman said.
US Vice President JD Vance later reiterated that call in a televised interview, but added that Washington was "not going to get involved in the middle of a war that's fundamentally none of our business."
Several countries have offered to mediate, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi on Thursday, days after visiting Pakistan.
Pakistani authorities insist they have the right to retaliate against India's initial strikes.
