New Delhi: Indian and Pakistani authorities both addressed the press this morning (May 10), briefing them about their military operations last night, and making claims and counterclaims against each other. 

Here, The Wire tries to unpack the information that both governments have shared. 

Most claims made by Pakistan were strongly rebuffed by the Indian government as it advanced its usual evening briefing time in response to Saturday morning hectic activities.

Addressing the press hurriedly at 3:30 am today, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry claimed that damage had been inflicted by Pakistan Armed Forces on Indian military facilities. But he also conceded that Pakistan was hurt when “India targeted” its air force stations at Nur Khan (Chaklala, Rawalpindi), Murid (Chakwal) and Rafiqui (Shorkot in Jhang district).

Chaudhry portrayed Pakistan’s attack as a “counter-offensive” against “Indian aggression”. 

“These blatant acts of aggression by India actually reflect the paranoia within the Indian mindset,” he said, adding that “they cannot break the resolve and will of the people of Pakistan.”

Meanwhile, in a conversation with BBC Radio, Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Vikram Doraiswami, said it was India which had responded to the Pahalgam terror attack, while Pakistan is escalating the situation by targeting civilian and military infrastructure in India. He added, “If Pakistan is attacking in response to India targeting terror infrastructure, then it is essentially standing up for these terrorist groups.” 

Also read: 'Lies, Misinformation, Propaganda': India Dismisses Pakistan's Claims of Damage to Airbases, Critical Infra

What did Pakistan claim?

Here are some of the other claims Chaudhry and other officials have made today. 

• Pakistan in what it labels as “Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos” said it had “destroyed” BrahMos storage site in Beas area of India.
• Attacks are also continuing on other targets in India.
• That India had fired missiles and drones at Afghanistan as well, shortly after attacking its air bases, which Chaudhry said was “part of a larger sinister plan to push the region and beyond into havoc”.
• Although Pakistan air defence systems intercepted a “majority” of missiles from India, some, according to Chaudhry, “sneaked in” but were “not able to cause any damage” as per their initial assessment.
• Islamabad claimed that the Pakistan air force has “the electronic signatures of all Indian missiles”, including “from where they were initiated and what was targeted”.
• PTV news reported that Pakistan destroyed an airbase at Udhampur and an airfield at Pathankot.
• Officials also claimed to PTV that other places which were used to attack “Pakistani people and masjids” are being targeted.
• PTV reported that Pakistan’s armed forces have destroyed “Brigade Headquarters", "KG Top", and a supply depot in Uri.
• Pakistan also claimed that it carried out cyber attacks that have made 70% of India's electricity grid “dysfunctional”.
• It also claimed that India used its Udhampur airfield to fire missiles on Sikhs in Amritsar.
• Pakistan has said that it has destroyed Indian artillery storage in Dehrangyari and that its Air Force's JF-17 Thunder hypersonic missiles destroyed India's S-400 air defence system in Adampur, valued at approximately $1.5 billion.
• Earlier PTV, the state broadcaster had also claimed that Pakistan’s drones were “active” in New Delhi, and that Pakistan’s cyber attacks had hacked many important Indian government websites. 

Speaking with Geo News, Pakistan’s deputy prime minister Ishaq Dar said, “Pakistan had no choice, so our civil military leadership made the decision following the attack on Nur Khan Air Base. No more patience. We are just giving them a response. We’ve exhibited a lot of patience so far. There is a threshold which we cannot go beyond, especially when it comes to hypocrisy and double standards,” he said.

Later in the day, however, Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif told Geo News that the nuclear option is currently not on the cards, but added that Pakistan shouldn’t be pushed to a situation where even the “watchers” will be affected. In its first response after India suspended the Indus Water Treaty, Pakistan had said that stopping river water was an “act of war” and that it was prepared to respond “with full force across the complete spectrum of national power”. Observers believed that its statement did not rule out the use of nuclear option. 

“I am telling the world that this is not going to be confined to the region only; it could be much wider […] destruction”. Our options are being reduced considering the situation India is creating,” Asif said, adding that no meeting of the country’s National Command Authority, authorised to make operational decisions on nuclear weapons, had been called. 

What did India say?

Briefing the press, the foreign secretary dismissed most claims made by Pakistan, and emphasised that it was noteworthy that “the misinformation campaign” was peddled by “Pakistani state agencies. 

Earlier in the day, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh addressed the press, along with foreign secretary Vikram Misri. 

India said that Pakistan’s claims that it had destroyed Adampur’s S-400 air defence system, Surat and Sirsa airports, Dehragiri artillery house, Chandigarh gunpowder depot were false, and added that it was part of Pakistan’s attempts to “execute a continued malicious misinformation campaign”.  

“India unequivocally rejects these false narratives being spread by Pakistan,” Singh said.

Misri termed the allegation that Indian strikes were also aimed at Amritsar as “ludicrous” and strongly refuted that India directed its missiles at Afghanistan as well. 

Colonel Qureshi and Wing Commander Singh said that Pakistan continued its military aggression on India’s Western border across 26 locations, from Srinagar to Nalia. It used drones, fighter planes, long-range weapons, and loitering munitions. She said that it also indulged in shelling on various regions of LoC and sent its drones inside India, while unsuccessfully trying to conduct airstrikes inside Indian territory. 

• Although efforts were neutralised by armed forces, some equipment was damaged and personnel were injured in air force stations at Udhampur, Pathankot, Adampur, Bhuj, and Bhatinda.
• A high-speed missile was also fired on the Punjab air base station at 1.40 am by Pakistan.
• Pakistan attacked the medicare centre and school premises at the air bases of Srinagar, Awantipora and Udhampur, in what India said was “a deplorable cowardly act” to target civilian infrastructure.
• Pakistan shelled the town of Rajouri that killed the Additional District Development Commissioner Shri Raj Kumar Thapa, adding to the civilian casualties and the damage in that state.
• India’s response was swift and calibrated, targeting “identified military targets” with “precision attacks”.
•  India targeted Pakistan’s “technical installations, command and control centres, radar sight and arms storage facilities”, and carried out targeted attacks on its military bases at Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, and Chunian, Pasrur, and Sialkot.
• It said that it  was “a matter of concern” that Pakistan “misused” international air routes to launch some of its airstrikes.
• The officers went on to show a few images of air force bases in Punjab and Rajasthan sectors to debunk Pakistan’s claims. “You can also see the normalcy at these air force stations. This is Sirsa… Suratgarh…. The runways are intact. They are also time stamped. This is today," she said.
• India said that similar attempts to attack Indian military facilities were made by Pakistan in Kupwara, Baramulla, Poonch, Rajouri, and Akhnoor but the Indian response not only defeated them but also caused a lot of damage to Pakistan’s armed forces.
• India said that these attacks show Pakistan’s intent to provoke, and repeated that Indian armed forces were in a situation of “high-preparedness”.
• India has again repeated its position that the Indian armed forces do not want to escalate any further tension if Pakistan reciprocates in the same manner. 

Speaking after Colonel Qureshi and Wing Commander Singh, foreign secretary Vikram Misri emphasised that Pakistani claims “continue to be heavy on lies, misinformation and propaganda” peddled by “Pakistani state agencies”. 

“The claims that they have made about attacking and destroying various places, various military installations and facilities, as has been pointed out by my colleagues here this morning, are completely false,” he said.

“The claim about the Air Force Station in Sirsa being destroyed, completely false, as you have seen. The claim about the Air Force Station in Surat being destroyed, completely false again, as you have seen. There is a claim that has been made that the S-400 base at Adampur was destroyed, completely false, once again. Claims have been made about large sections of Indian critical infrastructure, power systems, cyber systems, etc. being attacked and destroyed, completely false.,” Misri said. 

“I would urge all of you, and all those who watch this, not to be misled by this tissue of lies that is being peddled by the Pakistani State for obvious purposes,” Misri said. 

While terming the allegation that India fired at its own citizens at Amritsar as “ludicrous”, Misri said that targeting “civilians and civilian infrastructure” was Pakistan’s “a consistent attempt to sow discord between communities in India.”

“And finally, there is this yet again completely ludicrous claim that Indian missiles have hit Afghanistan. Totally frivolous allegation. And I only want to point out that Afghan people don't need to be reminded about which country it is, that has on multiple occasions, in just the last one and a half years, targeted civilian populations and civilian infrastructure in Afghanistan,” Misri said. 

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