BY PC BUREAU
Lahore, Pakistan – May 8, 2025
A series of powerful explosions shook Walton Road in Lahore, Pakistan’s second-largest city, on Thursday morning, sparking widespread panic and blanketing the sky with thick clouds of smoke. Local media reported at least three consecutive blasts, with visuals showing terrified residents fleeing their homes and gathering on the streets in fear. The cause of the explosions remains under investigation, but the incident comes amid heightened tensions following India’s military strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
According to police officials, the blasts occurred in quick succession around 8:16 AM local time on Walton Road, a major thoroughfare near the Lahore Cantonment and close to the Lahore Airport. No immediate casualty figures or damage assessments were reported, but security forces swiftly cordoned off the area as investigations began. Eyewitnesses described hearing loud booms and feeling tremors, with some speculating about military activity due to the area’s proximity to sensitive installations.
The explosions followed a turbulent 24 hours in Pakistan. On Wednesday, India launched “Operation Sindoor,” a series of missile strikes targeting alleged terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan’s Punjab province and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. India claimed the strikes, which hit nine sites, were a response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people. Pakistan condemned theFoo the strikes as an “act of war,” reporting at least 26 civilian deaths and 46 injuries. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed retaliation, and cross-border shelling was reported along the Line of Control.`
🇮🇳🇵🇰 Triple Explosions Rock Pak Military Airbase in Lahore
Local sources report three loud blasts at the Walton military airport late tonight. Rescue and firefighting units have rushed to the scene. Panic and fear grip the entire area. pic.twitter.com/kCL1JhZWhO
— Militant Tracker 🇶🇦 (@MilitantTracker) May 8, 2025
ALSO READ: Three Sikh Devotees Killed as Pakistan Shells Poonch Gurudwara
Adding to the chaos, Pakistani authorities temporarily shut down air routes in Lahore and Sialkot for commercial flights on Thursday morning, citing border tensions, according to Samaa TV. The Pakistan Airports Authority had earlier lifted a 48-hour airspace closure on Wednesday but extended restrictions on certain flight corridors until May 31 for “operational and security reasons.” Pakistan International Airlines canceled all flights for 12 hours on Wednesday, and Sialkot International Airport suspended operations indefinitely.
Visuals broadcast by Geo TV and shared on social media captured the scale of panic in Lahore, a city of over 11 million people. Thick smoke rose over Walton Road, and crowds gathered in fear, with some residents claiming the blasts may have targeted the nearby Walton Airfield. Unverified posts on X suggested a possible drone strike, though no official confirmation has been issued.
🇮🇳🇵🇰 Triple Explosions Rock Pak Military Airbase in Lahore
Local sources report three loud blasts at the Walton military airport late tonight. Rescue and firefighting units have rushed to the scene. Panic and fear grip the entire area. pic.twitter.com/kCL1JhZWhO
— Militant Tracker 🇶🇦 (@MilitantTracker) May 8, 2025
Lahore police have yet to release details on the cause of the explosions, and the Pakistani government has not issued an official statement on the incident. However, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned India against further aggression, stating, “If not us, then there will be no one.” The Pakistani Foreign Ministry briefed allies, including Russia and Spain, on the crisis, seeking international support.
ALSO READ: Masood Azhar Confirms Death of 10 Kin in Airstrikes, Calls It a ‘Blessing’
India, meanwhile, defended its strikes as “precise and non-escalatory,” targeting only terrorist camps linked to groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar reiterated a “zero tolerance” policy for terrorism, and the Indian Army posted on X, “Justice is served. Jai Hind!”
The Walton Road blasts have heightened fears in Lahore, a city no stranger to violence. Past incidents, including a 2021 blast in Johar Town and a 2022 explosion in Anarkali Bazaar, have underscored the city’s vulnerability to militant attacks. As investigations continue, authorities have tightened security across Punjab, where a state of emergency remains in place. Hospitals are on high alert, and residents have been urged to avoid open spaces.
The United Nations and global powers, including the United States and Russia, have called for de-escalation, with the UN Secretary-General offering to mediate. The international community is closely watching the situation, wary of further escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
