RAHIM YAR KHAN: India and Pakistan reached a new high as Indian forces targeted Sheikh Zayed International Airport in Rahim Yar Khan, a symbol of Pakistan-UAE friendship and a critical component of the country’s aviation infrastructure.
In addition, security officials mentioned that structural damage to the airport, which was established in 1993 and named after the late UAE President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
The facility holds diplomatic significance due to its longstanding connection with the Gulf state and is widely seen as a cornerstone of Pakistan-UAE bilateral relations.
Furthermore, tensions escalated dramatically after the April 22 bombing in Pahalgam, located in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which resulted in 26 fatalities. India blamed the incident on Pakistan-based actors without providing substantive evidence, a claim Islamabad categorically denied.
In response, India unilaterally closed the Wagah border, cancelled Pakistani visas, and suspended the Indus Waters Treaty on April 23. Pakistan condemned the suspension of the treaty as an “act of war” and sealed its side of the border shortly thereafter.
However, explosions were reported on May 6 and 7 in multiple Pakistani cities, including Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Muridke, and Bahawalpur, further intensifying the situation.
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In this sense, Pakistan’s retaliatory actions, under Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos, indicate a critical phase in what experts fear could escalate into a broader military confrontation.
