In the stillness of night, while children dreamed and families rested, the skies over Pakistan turned deadly. Indian missiles tore through homes, mosques, and madrasas, martyring 31 innocent civilians, including babies, students, women, and the elderly — and injuring 57 others. Grief has engulfed the nation, but so has an unshakable resolve.
Among the most heart-wrenching losses was seven-year-old Irtiza Abbas Turi, the son of a Pakistan Army officer, who was martyred during a strike on Dwarandi in Azad Kashmir. His funeral in Islamabad, attended by the President, Prime Minister, ministers, and military chiefs, became a solemn symbol of national mourning.
In Kotli, a missile hit near Abbas Mosque, killing 22-year-old university student Misbah Kausar and her younger brother Umar Musa. They were laid to rest in the Nakyal sector, their dreams silenced forever.
The attacks showed no mercy. In Bahawalpur, a madrasa was bombed, martyring 13, including two 3-year-old girls, seven women, and four men. Masjid Bilal in Muzaffarabad was reduced to rubble, killing 80-year-old Muhammad Yaqoob. In Muridke, three men were martyred. Missiles also struck the Noseri Dam at the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project — targeting not just lives, but lifelines.
According to DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the strikes were “cowardly, unprovoked, and targeted at unarmed civilians.” India, he said, falsely blamed Pakistan for unrest in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) — claims Islamabad has forcefully denied.
Yet, sorrow soon gave way to resolve.
In a powerful counterstrike, Pakistan’s armed forces downed five Indian jets, including three Rafales, destroyed a combat drone, multiple checkposts, and an entire brigade headquarters across the Line of Control.
Funeral prayers in Bahawalpur, Muridke, Muzaffarabad, and Islamabad turned into mass gatherings of grief and resistance. In Azad Kashmir, citizens held a rally from College Ground to Padhawa Chowk, demanding justice and condemning Indian aggression.
“These weren’t just attacks,” a security official said. “They were a massacre of peace. But Pakistan stands united. We mourn — and we will respond.”