Pakistan is open to reducing tensions with India if New Delhi chooses to de-escalate the current situation, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Wednesday.His statement came in the wake of India’s military strikes on terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, carried out earlier in the day.Speaking to Bloomberg Television, Asif emphasised that Pakistan would not initiate any hostilities but would respond if provoked.“We have consistently maintained over the past two weeks that we will not initiate any hostile action against India. However, if we are attacked, we will respond,” Asif said. “If India chooses to step back, we are fully prepared to wind down this tension.”Asif also noted that he was not aware of any potential diplomatic engagements or talks being planned between the two countries at this stage.India’s strikes targeted nine terror-related sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam.
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