Pakistan navy says fully prepared to counter any Indian misadventure

Offshore Patrol Vessel PNS Hunain arrives in Karachi on August 30, 2024. —Facebook/ DGPR Navy

The Pakistan navy on Friday said it was fully prepared to respond to any misadventure by India after British media reported that India has deployed a powerful naval strike group toward Pakistan’s coast amid escalating cross-border hostilities.

The statement came amid heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed states after New Delhi launched an unprovoked missile strike on cities in Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

"New Delhi has moved its western fleet closer to the northern Arabian Sea, placing it within striking range of Karachi, Pakistan’s largest port," the Telegraph report claimed

The Indian strike group, the report claimed, comprises an aircraft carrier, destroyers, frigates and other assets and is roughly 300-400 miles from Pakistan's coast.

The latest escalation in the decades-old Pakistan-India rivalry began on May 7 when at least 31 civilians were killed in an unprovoked Indian cross-border attack. In retaliation, Pakistan downed its five fighter jets, including three Rafale, and dozens of drones.

Meanwhile, India continues to send drones into Pakistani territory, with the military shooting down nearly 80, including Israeli-made IAI Heron — medium-altitude, long-endurance — unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told media: "We will not de-escalate — with the damages they did on our side, they should take a hit."

"So far, we have been protecting ourselves but they will get an answer in our own timing," he added.