South Asia is again in the global spotlight after India launched an airstrike on nine ‘terrorist infrastructures’ inside Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Pakistan proper in the wee hours of Wednesday in retaliation for last month’s killing of 26 people including a Nepali national, Sudip Neupane, in Pahalgam in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Dozens of people were killed on both sides as New Delhi and Islamabad vowed to continue retaliatory measures. India named the latest military strike ‘Operation Sindoor’. Following the attack, Pakistan reported that 26 people were killed and 46 injured in Indian strikes. Similarly, India has stated that 10 of its citizens were killed and 32 injured in a cross-border attack.

By the looks of things, India and Pakistan could continue military action for some time, leaving the region in a volatile state. As world leaders have urged both sides not to escalate to a full-blown war as both are nuclear-armed nations, renewed India-Pakistan tensions were discussed in Nepal’s Parliament on Wednesday.

Likewise, the Nepal government has begun taking measures to ensure there will be no spillover effect of the conflict through the porous India-Nepal international border and that it will not pose a threat to national security.

On Wednesday afternoon, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli convened a meeting of the National Security Council where Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Bishnu Poudel, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, Defense Minister Manbir Rai, Chief Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal, and Chief of the Army Staff General Ashok Sigdel, among others, were present. The meeting reviewed the latest security situation following the Indian strikes on Pakistan.

In the meeting, the current international situation and recent developments between India and Pakistan were reviewed in relation to the likely security challenges and impacts on Nepal, said a statement issued after the meeting.

“A detailed analysis of the situation that may arise from this development was discussed so that we can adopt the right strategy to deal with it in the future,” said a statement issued by Rameshwar Dangal, defense secretary and the member secretary of the National Security Council.

Several lawmakers also spoke in Parliament on Wednesday on the renewed India-Pakistan tensions and urged the government to take a clear stand on terrorism.

Before the meeting of the National Security Council, Home Minister Lekhak called a meeting of the Central Security Committee, which was attended by Home Secretary Gokarna Dawadai; heads of Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and National Intelligence Department; and Nepal Army General Nirmal Kumar Thapa, among others.

The meeting discussed the potential impact of the India-Pakistan conflict on Nepal and decided to place all security agencies on high alert.

Ram Chandra Tiwari, spokesperson for the Ministry of Home Affairs, stated that a decision has been made to step up surveillance and maintain high security in sensitive areas, including the Nepal-India border and airports, in order to prevent any unwanted activities.

He said the meeting also discussed the safety of Nepali citizens living in India and Pakistan.

“There was discussion on additional measures needed for internal security, as well as enhanced coordination and information-sharing,” spokesperson Tiwari said. “The meeting also addressed the need for strict and special surveillance—from border points to airports—to ensure national and internal security, and tackle possible challenges.”

After the meeting, the Armed Police Force (APF) issued a statement saying that in the wake of the recent regional security situation, the APF has been on high alert along the border.

The APF, which is entrusted with guarding and managing security along Nepal’s borders, has been placed on high alert to prevent possible illegal cross-border infiltration through the Nepal-India border, the statement said.

APF Deputy Spokesperson DSP Shailendra Thapa stated that joint patrols and information-sharing at the border have been intensified in coordination with India’s Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

He said, “There is round-the-clock patrolling between the border outposts.”

To control and monitor unauthorized infiltration, special instructions have been issued from APF headquarters to all battalion commanders in the border areas, according to DSP Thapa.

“ID checks and record-keeping of people crossing the border are being conducted as needed. We are also undertaking surveillance, inspections, and gathering intelligence in suspected areas.”

To manage border areas and prevent possible illegal crossings, the APF has also been coordinating with Nepal Police, the National Investigation Department, local representatives, and the general public in order to share information and monitor cross-border movements. Additionally, surveillance has been stepped up in urban areas deemed to be of strategic security importance, according to the Armed Police Force.

Ahead of these developments, several lawmakers who spoke in Parliament on Wednesday urged the government to form a clear position on terrorism, citing the open border and Nepal’s geopolitical positioning.

Former Foreign Minister NP Saud said the government should understand its diplomatic responsibilities and fulfill national and international obligations at a time when Nepali citizens have fallen victim to terrorism based on their faith.

He also questioned the recent visit of a Pakistani military delegation to Kathmandu, calling it “bad timing.”

“The visit of Pakistani military officials at this time was inappropriate,” he said in Parliament. “The high-level Pakistani military delegation visited Nepal while ignoring the heinous terrorist incident in the neighboring country and the evolving situation.”

A 12-member military delegation from Pakistan, currently undertaking courses at National Security and War College (NSWC) under the Defense University of Pakistan, arrived in Kathmandu on May 4. Following public uproar over the visit, which came immediately after the terrorist attack in India, the Nepal Army clarified that it was a scheduled visit.

Saud said, “Even if the visit was pre-scheduled, there was a need to be sensitive to the current situation and, with diplomatic tact, postpone it for time being.”

Saud stated that the Pakistani military visit should have been postponed in light of the serious tensions between India and Pakistan.

He expressed sorrow at the brutal killing of 26 innocent people, including Nepali youth Sudeep Neupane in the April 22 Pahalgam attack.

Lawmaker Sarbendra Nath Shukla of the Loktantrik Samajwadi Party, referring to Nepal’s longstanding position on non-alignment, said Nepal nevertheless needs to take a clear stand against terrorism.

Other members of parliament also raised concerns about the regional fallout from the India-Pakistan conflict.

Likewise, Nepali Congress lawmaker Sanjay Kumar Gautam said Nepal must be careful about the impact of a potential full-fledged war between India and Pakistan. “Due to geopolitical sensitivities and our open border, the conflict that has begun between India and Pakistan could have both short-term and long-term effects on us. The government of Nepal must take this seriously, and on time.”

“I urge the government to initiate discussions on the impacts this could have on Nepal,” Gautam said. He also called on Nepal’s top leaders to take the issue seriously and stressed the importance of national unity among political parties on such critical matters.

Independent lawmaker Amresh Kumar Singh, speaking in Parliament, accused the government of provoking major powers saying that the visit of a high-level Pakistani military delegation to Nepal was not appropriate at this time.

He said, “A war has broken out between India and Pakistan. Nepal shares an open border with India. The government should focus on preventing any terrorist activities. The government lacks understanding of international relations—because the foreign minister is someone who studied psychology. That’s why she has no idea what diplomacy and foreign policy really mean."

Singh said the visit of the Pakistani military delegation could damage Nepal’s relations with neighbours.

“On one hand, our relations with our neighbor have been strained since the formation of the current government. So a visit by the prime minister [to India] has not been possible. On the other hand, we are inviting the Pakistani army, not just one unit but three units at once, in a way that could provoke India,” said Singh.