India-Pakistan tensions flare with cyberattacks, missile tests

India urges ADB to halt funds to Pakistan, plans FATF action; Pakistani hackers breach Indian defense; LoC fire persists for 11th night; Islamabad tests missile amid escalating tensions

SRINAGAR/MUZAFFARABAD, Kashmir (MNTV) — Tensions between South Asian nuclear arch rivals India, Pakistan continued to escalate on Monday. From missile tests and cyberattacks to financial maneuvers and ceasefire violations, both sides appear locked in a multi-domain confrontation with little sign of de-escalation.

Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman urged the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to cut funding to Pakistan, citing Islamabad’s alleged inaction on cross-border terrorism.

The demand was raised during her meeting with ADB President Masato Kanda on the sidelines of the Bank’s 58th Annual Meeting in Milan.

New Delhi is also preparing to approach the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to reinstate Pakistan on the “grey list” for terror financing oversight, according to Indian government sources.

Sitharaman reportedly conveyed India’s growing concern about the April 22 attack in Pahalgam in Kashmir and its implications for regional security.

In a significant show of force, Pakistan’s military successfully conducted a test launch of the “Fatah Series” guided missile as part of its ongoing Exercise INDUS.

According to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the missile launch aimed to “validate key technical parameters, including the system’s advanced navigation, targeting precision, and operational readiness.”

The test was witnessed by senior officers of the Pakistan Army as well as scientists and engineers from strategic organisations.

The ISPR added that the launch demonstrated Pakistan’s ability to “defend its territorial integrity” in the face of external threats and conveyed a “clear message of deterrence” amid heightened tensions with India.

Cyber breach targets Indian defense systems

In another escalation, a group identifying itself as “Pakistan Cyber Force” claimed responsibility today for breaching sensitive Indian defence systems.

The group allegedly accessed data from the Indian Military Engineering Service and the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.

Cybersecurity officials in New Delhi confirmed that login credentials and personal data of Indian military personnel may have been compromised.

The hackers also attempted to deface the website of Armored Vehicle Nigam Limited, a defence public sector unit. The website was taken offline pending a security audit.

Meanwhile, ground-level tensions remain volatile.

Indian defence officials reported that small arms fire across at least eight sectors along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir during the night of May 4–5.

Affected areas include Kupwara, Baramulla, Poonch, Rajouri, Naushera, Sunderbani, and Akhnoor.

Civilians in forward areas have been advised to remain indoors, and emergency bunkers have been activated.

This marks the eleventh consecutive night of ceasefire violations since the April 22 Pahalgam attack.

The 2021 bilateral ceasefire agreement appears effectively void.

Addressing a regional conference in Islamabad today, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar claimed the Pahalgam attack was “self-orchestrated” by India to divert attention from internal political unrest and to justify aggressive foreign policy decisions.

Dar alleged that New Delhi was trying to “gain domestic political mileage” before upcoming state elections in Bihar.

He criticised India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, calling it a “reckless violation of international agreements.”

Pakistani diplomatic and media outreach

Pakistan continued its diplomatic outreach with regional allies.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who arrived in Islamabad late last night, met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir. Both sides agreed to pursue diplomatic channels to lower tensions.

Araghchi is expected to visit New Delhi later this week. Meanwhile, China reaffirmed its support for Pakistan, with Ambassador Jiang Zaidong meeting President Asif Ali Zardari and describing the Pakistan-China relationship as “ironclad.”

Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar  escorted a group of foreign journalists—including CNN’s Nic Robertson—to locations near the Line of Control to challenge India’s claims of terrorist camps operating in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

Tarar showed reporters areas India had identified as militant launchpads.

“There are no camps here—only propaganda,” he said.

Families of two men allegedly killed in what Pakistan terms a “fake encounter” by Indian forces also gave testimonies.

The sharp deterioration in India-Pakistan ties stems from the April 22 attack in the tourist town of Pahalgam, where 26 people—mostly Indian holidaymakers—were killed in a coordinated shooting.

India immediately blamed Pakistan-based militants and suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, a water sharing agreement.

Since then, India has downgraded diplomatic ties, escalated cyber vigilance, approached global financial institutions to isolate Pakistan, and authorized military readiness.

Pakistan has responded with missile tests, diplomatic outreach, and counter-allegations of Indian aggression and election-driven war rhetoric.

With cyberattacks, diplomatic jousting, missile launches, and nightly cross-border fire now becoming routine, international observers warn that even a minor miscalculation could trigger a wider conflict in the world’s most volatile flashpoint.