PAKISTAN'S armed forces have been authorized by the National Security Council (NSC) to undertake retaliation “at a time, place, and manner of its choosing” to avenge the Indian military strikes.
Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif presided over the NSC meeting in Islamabad on Wednesday, which was attended by cabinet ministers, chief ministers, all services chiefs and senior officers to discuss the situation.
Indian armed forces early Wednesday (7) 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.
Sharif is set to hold a cabinet meeting and share details with the nation through his address in the parliament.
The NSC meeting termed India’s strikes as “unprovoked” and “unlawful act of war” and it “unequivocally condemned” the blatant violations of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the statement said.
The NSC called upon the international community to recognize “the gravity of India’s unprovoked illegal actions” and to hold it accountable for its blatant violations of international norms, the statement added.
The NSC statement further claimed that India’s strikes also caused grave danger to commercial airlines, 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.
Shelling on the border
Meanwhile, Pakistan Army on Wednesday (7) resorted to heavy artillery and mortar shelling on forward villages along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.
At least 12 people, including four children, were killed and 57 others injured.
The officials said the Indian Army is responding to the shelling in a befitting manner, resulting in many casualties on the enemy side.
The worst-hit in the Pakistani shelling was Poonch district which accounted for all the civilian deaths, the officials said, adding 42 people were also injured.
The indiscriminate shelling by Pakistan created panic among the border residents who were forced to take refuge in underground bunkers or shift to safer places within or outside their villages, the officials said.
The shelling was reported from all along the LoC in Poonch, including Balakote, Mendhar, Mankote, Krishna Ghati, Gulpur, Kerni and even Poonch district headquarters, they said.
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