Widespread panic gripped the Pakistani cities of Lahore and Karachi on Thursday following a series of explosions believed to be linked to India’s ongoing Operation Sindoor, targeting terror infrastructure across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).
In Lahore, three loud explosions were reported on Walton Road early in the day, sending plumes of smoke into the sky and triggering mass evacuation as terrified residents fled their homes. Local sources also reported blasts near Askari 5 and the Naval College area, with additional explosions heard in the Burki and Naseerabad districts.
In Karachi, a blast near Sharafi Goth in Malir reportedly resulted from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) strike that hit a building deep inside the city. Although official confirmation is awaited, videos and images circulating on social media show smoke rising from several areas and civilians seeking shelter.
Samaa TV and MM News cited local witnesses and unverified footage indicating multiple strike points. In response to the escalating situation, commercial flights at Lahore and Sialkot airports were suspended until noon, underscoring rising national security concerns.
These developments come in the wake of India’s precision airstrikes launched under Operation Sindoor on May 7. The operation, a direct response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 Indian civilians, has so far targeted known terror hubs of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), including Markaz Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur and Markaz Taiba in Muridke.
While India has officially confirmed strikes on nine key targets in PoJK and Punjab province of Pakistan, unconfirmed reports suggest that Indian drones may have also struck sites in Attock, Gujranwala, Chakwal, Rawalpindi, Mianwali, Chor, and Karachi.
As uncertainty grips major urban centers in Pakistan, tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations continue to escalate. Pakistani authorities have yet to provide an official statement on the blasts, but social media posts from local journalists show civilians pouring onto streets and reports of emergency services being overwhelmed.
The situation remains volatile as global powers urge restraint and call for urgent diplomatic engagement to prevent a wider regional conflict.
