LAHORE/NEW DELHI, May 8 — A blast was heard in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore on Thursday morning, according to broadcaster Geo TV and a Reuters witness, as tensions between India and Pakistan remained high following Indian airstrikes inside Pakistani territory.
The cause of the explosion was not immediately known, and authorities have yet to issue an official statement.
The incident comes a day after India carried out strikes on what it described as “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan.
The Indian government said the operation was a direct response to a deadly attack in Pahalgam two weeks ago, which left 26 people dead and for which India blamed Pakistan.
Indian officials said cross-border shelling had decreased slightly overnight. However, preparations for potential retaliation continued, with blackout drills conducted in several border regions, including the northern city of Amritsar, which is home to the Golden Temple.
Across the border, most cities in Pakistan began returning to routine on Thursday. Schools reopened in many areas, though hospitals and civil defence units in the Punjab border province remained on high alert.
Despite an earlier vow to respond, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif signaled a possible shift in tone, telling The New York Times on Wednesday that Pakistan was prepared to de-escalate.
India, however, has maintained that any response from Pakistan would be met in kind. “If Pakistan responds, we will respond,” an Indian government source said, suggesting a continued state of military readiness.
Amid the mounting tension, global leaders have stepped in to call for calm. U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he hoped both nations could “work it out,” adding, “I will be there if I can help.”
Diplomatic channels remain active, but the situation on the ground suggests a volatile calm as both nuclear-armed neighbors weigh their next moves.
