Winnipeggers worried about family as India-Pakistan tensions escalate

Arturo Chang · CBC News

· Posted: May 08, 2025 9:11 PM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

Some Winnipeggers from India and Pakistan accidental they're anxious arsenic the equipped confrontation betwixt some countries escalates. 

The Pakistani subject said Thursday 2 civilians person died and 4 soldiers were wounded after India launched onslaught drones into the country, according to The Associated Press.

Those deaths travel aft Pakistan says astatine slightest 31 of its civilians were killed and astir 50 wounded successful strikes connected Wednesday and successful cross-border shelling crossed the frontier successful Kashmir that followed, portion India says 16 of its civilians died, including 5 children, and 59 were wounded.

The latest exchanges travel aft India said it deed "terrorist infrastructure" successful Pakistan successful the aboriginal hours of Wednesday successful retaliation for an April 22 onslaught successful Indian-controlled Kashmir, successful which 26 radical — mostly Hindu tourists — were killed.

Pakistan denies immoderate engagement successful the onslaught successful the long-disputed region, which has been astatine the centre of respective equipped clashes betwixt some nuclear-armed countries successful the decades since they gained independence.

Sukhmeet Singh, who has lived successful Winnipeg for almost three years, inactive has a batch of family successful Indian Punjab, which borders Pakistan, including his father. Singh said he's worried astir their safety.

"They are doing blackout in [the cities of] Gurdaspur, Pathankot … from 9 to 5 p.m.," helium said.

"They're giving [them] things to do, similar get sufficient supply, banal … basal food, h2o and everything and get yourself a harmless place, get your cars filled with state successful lawsuit they person to evacuate."

WATCH l Winnipeggers anxious astir India-Pakistan tensions:

Jamil Mohammad, who is from Pakistani Punjab and has lived successful Canada for astir 25 years, is besides worried. His autochthonal metropolis of Bahawalpur was 1 of the places deed by Indian rocket strikes Wednesday.

Mohammad said helium archetypal heard astir it from his nephew, who is still successful the city.

"I was precise scared, due to the fact that I person household implicit determination successful Bahawalpur, and besides successful Rawalpindi," wherever a drone fell, helium said.

"I was shaking," Mohammad said. "Both sides, they are sidesplitting guiltless people. So we are with the guiltless people."

Indian authorities said Thursday the country shot down respective drones aimed astatine subject targets. 

Pakistan's ambassador to the U.S. said successful a Thursday interview with CNN both sides person had contacts astatine the level of their respective nationalist information councils, but helium maintained it's India's work to de-escalate tensions.

The United Nations and countries similar China, Russia and the U.S. have urged some countries to enactment with restraint. 

Both Mohammad and Singh said they would similar to spot different countries and the UN measurement successful to mediate the conflict.

"I don't cognize what they [are] playing successful that area, the authorities of Pakistan and authorities of India," Mohammad said. "But we privation peace."

Singh said nary 1 wins successful a war.

"We are being separated by flags, but inactive the tears are same," helium said. "We are being separated by the borders, but humor is same, truthful I deliberation they should enactment connected it."