Amid talk of Pak-India war, #SayNoToWar becomes top Twitter trend

KARACHI:

After military spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor confirmed Pakistan shot down two Indian fighter jets in the early hours of Wednesday morning, and one Indian pilot subsequently captured as their jets were destroyed in air combat by PAF aircraft.

The shots were fired, metaphorically and literally, a day after Pakistan’s civil and military leadership promised to retaliate “at the time and place of its choosing” after violation of Pakistan’s airspace by Indian air force.

PM Imran Khan issued a statement addressing India, saying ‘better sense should prevail’.

His address is earning the praise of politicians and analysts:

While independent politician and activist Jibran Nisar tweeting he is ‘proud of our PM’, President Arif Alvi termed it ‘a very appropriate, precise and compassionate message conveyed to India’.

Analysts also tweeted numerous posts of appreciation, deeming it ‘wise.’

"The sole purpose was to tell them [India] that if they can come here, we can go there too. All wars are miscalculated and no one knows where they lead to."

The prime minister’s televised address comes as Dubai Airports confirmed flights to and from Pakistan have been affected due to the closure of Pakistani airspace. Nine airports in north India have also shut amid tensions with Pakistan.

But amidst the ongoing pressure, the Pak-India conflict dominates Twitter’s worldwide trends.

With the combined Pakistani and Indian voices of social media shouting a viral #SayNoToWar, let’s take a look at some of the tweets: