Analysts and diplomats on Wednesday raised concerns over “increased risks of escalation” after India launched late-night airstrikes at six sites in Pakistan’s Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The attack resulted in at least 31 civilian casualties and 57 injuries. In retaliation, Islamabad took down five Indian jets. According to military spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, several Indian checkposts were destroyed in response. Separately, the government said Pakistan did not target any civilians in India in its retaliatory actions.

Amid the ongoing developments, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called a meeting of the country’s apex security body and is expected to address the nation afterwards.

Here is what journalists and analysts are saying about the recent updates and what they are predicting for the future.

Maleeha Lodhi, diplomat

“This is a very serious crisis brought on by Indian aggression. Pakistan has responded to the Indian attack by downing five Indian aircraft and destroying Indian posts along the Line of Control,” she told Dawn.com.

“Pakistan has said it will still respond to the Indian attack. It wants to re-establish deterrence because every few years India violates the border to undertake air or missile strikes. Pakistan does not want that to become the new normal, so that creates the strategic compulsion to act,” she highlighted.

Further escalation in a nuclear environment, Lodhi continued, is fraught with grave risks. “It is unclear if major escalation can be avoided, but we may see US intervention to prevent that, as past crises between India and Pakistan have always been defused by Washington,” she added.

Mazhar Abbas, senior analyst

“The day, May 7, is a hopeful one for Pakistan because we defeated India not only on the battlefield but also on the diplomatic front,” he said on Geo TV.

“India ran a film, we ran a trailer, if they want to move forward with war, we are ready,” he stated. Referring to last month’s Pahalgam attack, the journalist said India was yet to produce evidence regarding Pakistan’s involvement in it.

“Without doing that, they tried to go on another adventure. Pakistan has defeated them on three fronts: war, media, and diplomacy. If we keep going forward with this coordinated effort, we will be successful,” Abbas said.

Michael Kugelman, foreign policy expert

“India’s strike on Pakistan is of much greater scale than the one in 2019. Pakistan’s response, which, according to many reports, included downing several Indian jets, has also exceeded the scale of 2019,” he said in a post on X.

“They’re already higher up the escalatory ladder than any time in the ’19 crisis,” Kugelman said.

Separately, speaking to the Associated Press, he said: “These two strong militaries that, even without nuclear weapons as a deterrent, are not afraid to deploy … conventional military force against each other.”

“Escalation risks are real. And they could well increase, and quickly,” he warned.

Jibran Nasir, activist and lawyer

“India, acting like a rogue state, has violated multiple international humanitarian laws by targeting civilians and mosques,” Nasir said in a post on X. “Without providing any evidence of Pakistan’s involvement in Pahalgam, the Modi government has resorted to war crimes violating Provisions of the Geneva Convention IV 1949, Geneva Protocol 1977 Article 51-53, Hague Convention IV 1907 Article 25 & 27, Hague Convention 1954, Rome Statue of the ICC 1998 Article 8 and Customary IHL as codified by ICRC.”

He pointed out that Pakistan’s response to India, which included striking down jets and bombing military sites, was “measured” and asserted its right to self-defence.

“The Indian Democracy led by Hindutva on steroids wants to celebrate bombing of civilians, killing and maiming children and make mass rape threats to women online. Naming the operation Sindoor only underpins the toxicity, chauvinism and racism of the Indian regime towards Muslims both at home and vis-à-vis its neighbouring countries,” Nasir said.

“Hope no more blood is shed and the global community steps in and forces sense into India and holds it accountable for the war crimes it committed tonight. India must answer and pay the price for every single loss of civilian life and every house of worship it targeted.

“Till then, Pakistan shall defend itself by whatever means possible and every Pakistani stands united for its sovereignty and integrity,” he added.

Hina Rabbani Khar, diplomat

In a series of posts on X, Khar, who previously served as the state minister for foreign affairs, said India’s multiple attacks inside Pakistan showed that “India feels it has impunity to do what it will without any consideration to international law”.

“Pakistan has not only the right but also the capacity to respond to this belligerent, rogue neighbour as it is doing now,” she stated.

Hamid Mir, senior journalist

“It seems that [Indian prime minister] Modi’s strategy has backfired,” he said on the channel. “India claims it attacked terrorist sites in Pakistan, but there are videos everywhere showing they it was the civilians who were attacked.”

“The entire world agrees; Pakistan did not start this. India targeted Pakistan’s civilians, and Pakistan attacked their military targets. Morally, Pakistan is in a better situation,” he highlighted.

Mir was also of the opinion that Islamabad should suspend the Simla Agreement as a tit-for-tat response to India’s suspension of the Indus Water Treaty after the Pahalgam incident.