Following India's airstrikes on nine locations across Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated that his country would refrain from retaliatory attacks if India ceased its aggression. Speaking to media outlets including Bloomberg, Asif emphasized that it was India who initiated the conflict and that Pakistan's response was in self-defense. He noted that while the Pakistani military is prepared for combat, it is equally ready to de-escalate if India chooses to step back. This statement is being interpreted as a diplomatic gesture aimed at reducing growing tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations. Earlier on Wednesday, May 7, India launched strikes reportedly in retaliation for a deadly April 22 attack in Pahalgam. India claimed it had intelligence indicating imminent threats, prompting preemptive action. The joint operations by the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force allegedly resulted in 26 deaths on the Pakistani side, while Pakistan’s counterattacks reportedly killed 10 in India.