Emergency Response Is Put in Place Amid India-Pakistan Conflict

Regional church president calls members around the world to pray for peace.

May 12, 2025 | Northern Asia-Pacific Division and Adventist Review

As tensions between India and Pakistan escalated into armed conflict, the Northern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD) and the Pakistan Union Section (PKU) implemented emergency response measures to protect missionaries, church members, and institutional staff in Pakistan.

The recent drone attacks in Lahore and widespread blackouts across cities such as Gujranwala, Sialkot, and Muridke increased public anxiety. They prompted the government to intensify surveillance in the Punjab region—home to key Adventist institutions, including the PKU headquarters and Pakistan Adventist Seminary and College (PASC).

In light of these developments, PKU held an emergency meeting to assess the security risks and strengthen crisis preparedness. The meeting confirmed that while some air travel still operates through Multan and Quetta, international carriers have limited or rerouted flights, making evacuation logistics increasingly difficult. Concerned about the growing instability, church leaders reinforced safety protocols and developed contingency plans.

Each campus is forming a wartime emergency response team composed of four to five members, modeled after COVID-19 task forces. Staff are establishing a 24-hour emergency communication system to ensure reliable contact in case of urgent developments. Institutions have also taken steps to reduce nighttime visibility, strengthen on-campus security, and verify evacuation routes. Leaders are reviewing the potential use of underground shelters or concealed spaces in wooded areas as temporary refuges if conditions worsen.

PKU has secured a 15- to 30-day supply of such essential resources as food, drinking water, and medicine to support long-term resilience. Teams are inspecting emergency equipment, including manual water pumps, filtration systems, and backup generators. Meanwhile, officials have identified evacuation routes through the UAE, Dubai, and Bangkok, and are maintaining regular contact with the Korean Embassy and local airbases to monitor exit strategies.

The territory has extended special protection to missionaries serving in high-risk zones such as Sialkot, Marine K, Bahawalpur, and Rahim Yar Khan. The PKU and PASC campuses continue to coordinate closely. PKU is also considering early salary disbursement for pastors and staff to facilitate emergency purchases, while requesting financial support from the NSD for urgent procurement needs.

As regional and international news evolves, the NSD and PKU actively engage with airport authorities, assign roles to department leaders, and distribute safety guidance to church members and families nationwide. They are conducting regular checks to ensure compliance with institutional safety measures.

In this critical time the NSD calls upon the global Adventist community to pray for peace between the two nations, for the protection of missionaries and members in the region, and for wisdom and strength as the church continues its mission under challenging conditions.

Regional Church President Calls for Prayers

As news emerges that India and Pakistan have agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire, Kim YoHan, NSD president, called on the global Adventist Church to pray for a swift end to the conflict and for lasting peace. In an official appeal issued on May 10, Kim asked believers to “pray that God will swiftly bring an end to this war and restore peace to the hearts of all people in Pakistan and India.” He also urged, “Please especially pray that our Seventh-day Adventist members living in the region will not lose their faith and will be protected from harm or danger.”

Additionally, he repeated his heartfelt request for prayers “on behalf of the missionaries, pastors, and students at various institutions throughout the region.” The full message is as follows.

To our beloved Seventh-day Adventist brothers and sisters around the world,

As the president of the Northern Asia-Pacific Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, responsible for mission work in nine countries, including Pakistan, I write to you with a heavy heart and an urgent plea for united prayer.

Currently, armed conflict has broken out between Pakistan and India, putting countless lives at risk and plunging our dear church members and local communities into deep fear and suffering. War does not benefit anyone; it only leaves destruction, wounds, death, and sorrow behind.

In this grave moment I earnestly appeal to all Adventist believers in Korea and around the world to come together in prayer for the following:

1. Pray that God will swiftly bring an end to this conflict, and that the people of Pakistan and India may find peace and calm in their hearts.
2. Lift in prayer our Seventh-day Adventist members living in the region, that they may hold firmly to their faith and be protected from harm or danger. May God comfort them and surround them with His divine protection.
3. Please remember in your prayers the missionaries serving in this region, the pastors and workers in our institutions, and the students attending our schools—that they may be safe under God’s care.

Now is the time for us to lift our collective prayers so that Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, may move the hearts of the leaders of both nations and open the way to true reconciliation and lasting peace.

With all my heart, I believe your united prayers will become a powerful instrument for God’s miraculous work in this land. Once again, I sincerely ask our Adventist family worldwide to pray earnestly for this critical situation.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Kim YoHan

President, Northern Asia-Pacific Division

The original version of this release was posted on the Northern Asia-Pacific Division news site.