ISLAMABAD: Hours after Operation Sindoor , Pakistan PM Shahbaz Sharif , while addressing a session of parliament on Wednesday, lauded his country’s army for its ‘swift response’ to Indian strikes and claimed that it had shot down five jets of the neighbouring country. However, he did not provide any evidence to back his claim.
A Pakistani army spokesperson said at least 26 people were killed and 46 were injured in Indian strikes on six locations past midnight in PoK and the Punjab province. Pakistan’s military spokesperson, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said 13 deaths were reported in Bahawalpur’s Ahmedpur East, claiming that the Subhan Allah mosque was attacked. Other casualties were reported from PoK’s Kotli, Muzaffarabad and Mirpur districts and Muridke in Punjab.
In Parliament, Sharif alleged that India had responded with ‘aggression’ despite Pakistan’s ‘offer’ for a transparent international probe into the Pahalgam massacre. He said 80 Indian aircraft were part of the offensive, but Pakistan’s air defence ‘effectively neutralised’ the threat. He claimed that Pakistan’s military had ‘prior intelligence’ about India’s plans.
Earlier, at an emergency meeting of National Security Committee (NSC), which was chaired by Sharif and attended by top military and civilian leaders, Pakistan condemned India’s coordinated attacks as ‘acts of war’. NSC directed the armed forces to deliver a “befitting response to the unprovoked strikes”.
Accusing New Delhi of “igniting an inferno in the region”, NSC said in a statement that “the responsibility for ensuing consequences shall lie squarely with India”.
NSC warned that in consonance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, Islamabad reserved its 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 Pakistani nation, the statement added, stands “galvanised and resolute”, rallying behind its armed forces’ courage.
NSC alleged that Indian strikes deliberately targeted civilian areas “on the false pretext of presence of imaginary terrorist camps”.
Pakistan’s foreign minister Ishaq Dar said Islamabad had exercised restraint in the face of New Delhi’s strikes.
Meanwhile, Dar briefed Chinese ambassador to Pakistan, Jiang Zaidong, who called on the former after the Indian strikes, according to the Foreign Office. “The two sides exchanged views on regional security developments and agreed to maintain close coordination and communication across all relevant areas,” Foreign Office said in a statement.
A Pakistani army spokesperson said at least 26 people were killed and 46 were injured in Indian strikes on six locations past midnight in PoK and the Punjab province. Pakistan’s military spokesperson, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said 13 deaths were reported in Bahawalpur’s Ahmedpur East, claiming that the Subhan Allah mosque was attacked. Other casualties were reported from PoK’s Kotli, Muzaffarabad and Mirpur districts and Muridke in Punjab.
In Parliament, Sharif alleged that India had responded with ‘aggression’ despite Pakistan’s ‘offer’ for a transparent international probe into the Pahalgam massacre. He said 80 Indian aircraft were part of the offensive, but Pakistan’s air defence ‘effectively neutralised’ the threat. He claimed that Pakistan’s military had ‘prior intelligence’ about India’s plans.
Earlier, at an emergency meeting of National Security Committee (NSC), which was chaired by Sharif and attended by top military and civilian leaders, Pakistan condemned India’s coordinated attacks as ‘acts of war’. NSC directed the armed forces to deliver a “befitting response to the unprovoked strikes”.
Accusing New Delhi of “igniting an inferno in the region”, NSC said in a statement that “the responsibility for ensuing consequences shall lie squarely with India”.
NSC warned that in consonance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, Islamabad reserved its 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 Pakistani nation, the statement added, stands “galvanised and resolute”, rallying behind its armed forces’ courage.
NSC alleged that Indian strikes deliberately targeted civilian areas “on the false pretext of presence of imaginary terrorist camps”.
Pakistan’s foreign minister Ishaq Dar said Islamabad had exercised restraint in the face of New Delhi’s strikes.
Meanwhile, Dar briefed Chinese ambassador to Pakistan, Jiang Zaidong, who called on the former after the Indian strikes, according to the Foreign Office. “The two sides exchanged views on regional security developments and agreed to maintain close coordination and communication across all relevant areas,” Foreign Office said in a statement.
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