Pakistan is reportedly preparing to test-fire surface-to-surface ballistic missiles this week, a move Indian sources have described as a “reckless act of provocation” amid escalating tensions between the two nations following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which left 26 civilians dead.
According to sources cited by ANI, the missile test—planned despite repeated earlier notices without actual launches—is viewed in New Delhi as a deliberate and dangerous escalation at a time of heightened hostilities. Since the attack, cross-border gunfire along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir has become a near-daily occurrence.
In response to the terror incident, India undertook several diplomatic countermeasures: suspending visas for Pakistani nationals, reducing staff at the Pakistani High Commission, and closing the Attari border crossing. In turn, Pakistan has issued multiple NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen), signaling potential missile launches, but none have materialized so far—on April 23, April 26–27, and again between April 30 and May 2.
Sources say that this fourth attempt, amid ongoing skirmishes and political sabre-rattling from Pakistan, could further inflame the situation and push the region toward a deeper crisis.
