Pakistan's security huddle authorises armed forces to take action to revenge Indian strikes

Islamabad: Pakistan's National Security Council on Wednesday said the country's armed forces have been duly authorised to undertake retaliation “at a time, place, and manner of its choosing” to avenge the loss of innocent Pakistani lives in Indian military strikes.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif presided over the National Security Council (NSC) meeting, which was attended by cabinet ministers, chief ministers, all services chiefs and senior officers to discuss the situation.

Indian armed forces early Wednesday carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under Operation Sindoor.

An NSC statement warned that in consonance with Article-51 of the UN Charter, Pakistan reserves the right to respond, in self-defence, “at a time, place, and manner of its choosing” to avenge the loss of innocent Pakistani lives in the Indian strikes.

“The Armed Forces of Pakistan have duly been authorised to undertake corresponding actions in this regard,” the NSC statement said.

Sharif is set to hold a cabinet meeting and share details with the nation through his address in the parliament.

The NSC meeting described the strikes as India’s “unprovoked” and “unlawful act of war” and said the NSC “unequivocally condemned” what it called as the blatant violations of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, “which manifestly constitutes acts of war under international law,” the statement said.

“The deliberate targeting of civilians, including innocent women and children, by the Indian military constitutes a heinous and shameful crime that is in violation of all norms of human behaviour and the provisions of international law,” it said.

The NSC called upon the international community to recognise “the gravity of India’s unprovoked illegal actions” and to hold it accountable for its blatant violations of international norms and laws, the statement added.

The statement further said, the Indian strike deliberately targetted the civilian areas, “on the false pretext of presence of imaginary terrorist camps,” resulting in the deaths of innocent men, women, and children, and causing damage to the civilian infrastructure, including mosques, it said.

The NSC statement further claimed that India’s strikes also caused grave danger to commercial airlines belonging to Gulf countries, endangering the lives of thousands of on-board passengers.

Besides, the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower project was also deliberately targeted in violation of international conventions, it claimed.

After the NSC meeting was over, it was announced that Sharif will hold a cabinet meeting at 3:30 pm to further discuss the developments. “Later, he would share the decisions regarding the ongoing tension with the nation through his address in the parliament,” officials said.

Earlier, the Pakistan army said that at least 26 people were killed and 46 injured in the Indian strikes launched shortly after midnight on cities in the Punjab province and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Operation Sindoor was launched in retaliation for the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22 that killed 26 people. Citing “cross-border linkages” to the horrific attack, India has promised severe punishment to those involved in the strike.

The NSC statement said that Pakistan emphatically rejected Indian allegations claiming the presence of terrorist camps on its territory. It said, Pakistan had made a sincere offer for a credible, transparent and neutral investigation in the April 22 attacks, which “unfortunately was not accepted.”

The statement added that attacking its innocent people “is neither tolerable nor acceptable to Pakistan” and claimed, “India, against all sanity and rationality, has once again ignited an inferno in the region, the responsibility for ensuing consequences shall lie squarely with India.”