PICTURE: PM OFFICE
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has said that in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, it reserved the right to respond to Indian aggression at a time, place and manner of its choosing to avenge the loss of innocent lives and violation of its sovereignty.
The statement came after the National Security Committee (NSC), chaired by Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, convened to assess what it labeled as a grave act of aggression. The government said that the India launched coordinated missile, air, and drone strikes late on May 7, targeting multiple civilian areas in Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, including Sialkot, Shakargarh, Muridke, Bahawalpur, Kotli, and Muzaffarabad.
“These attacks, based on false claims of terrorist camps, deliberately targeted civilians and vital infrastructure,” the NSC declared. “This constitutes an act of war and a flagrant violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and international law.”
Pakistan reports multiple civilian casualties and infrastructure damage, including to religious sites and the Neelum–Jhelum Hydropower Project. It also alleged the strikes endangered commercial air traffic in the region, particularly aircraft from Gulf countries.
The Pakistani military claims to have intercepted and downed five Indian fighter aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles during its defensive response.
Islamabad reiterated that it had previously offered a neutral investigation into India’s terrorism allegations, which it said were baseless and designed to justify aggression. The NSC warned that any further hostilities would be met with “corresponding actions” at a time and place of Pakistan’s choosing.
“The Pakistani nation stands united and resolute,” the statement concluded, calling on the international community to hold India accountable for what it termed a destabilizing and unlawful escalation.
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