Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has authorised the country’s top national security body and its armed forces to retaliate against Indian strikes inside Pakistani territory in which over 20 civilians were killed overnight.
Sharif disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
This comes as the Indian government on Tuesday said it involved in planning a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22.
The assault took place on the tourist hill station of Pahalgam in the part of Kashmir governed by India, with 26 men killed.
In response, Pakistani military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said five Indian planes and one combat drone that had attacked Pakistan were shot down, naming three Rafales and one MiG-29 and Su-57 each.
“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 and blatant violation of its sovereignty,”; PM Sharif’s office said in a statement after he chaired a meeting of the National Security Committee, referring to the right of self-defence according to Chapter VII, Article 51, of the UN Charter.
“The Armed Forces of Pakistan have duly been authorised to undertake corresponding actions in this regard.”;
The statement added that India, “against all sanity and rationality, has once again ignited an inferno in the region,”; saying the responsibility for ensuing consequences lay squarely with New Delhi.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry said the chargé d’affaires had been summoned “to receive Pakistan’s strong protest over the unprovoked Indian strikes.”;
“The Indian side was warned that such reckless behaviour poses a serious threat to regional peace and stability.”;
DAILY POST reports that in the past days there have been sharp military escalations between India and Pakistan, attracting reactions from world leaders, President Donald Trump.
