ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): The National Security Committee (NSC) met on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to address the rapidly worsening India-Pakistan war escalation following Indian strikes on Pakistani territory overnight.
The meeting began with prayers for the civilians martyred in what Pakistan has called India’s “cowardly and unlawful act of war”. The NSC expressed condolences to the victims’ families and wished a swift recovery for the injured.
According to official sources, India launched coordinated missile, air, and drone attacks on the night of 6–7 May targeting several locations across Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, including Sialkot, Shakargarh, Muridke, Bahawalpur, Kotli, and Muzaffarabad.
The attacks focused on civilian infrastructure, which included mosques, while killing innocent men, women, and children as their primary target.
According to the NSC statement, the attacks on Pakistan violated its sovereignty and represented clear violations of international legal principles regarding acts of war. Officials said that India had falsely accused Pakistan of harbouring terrorist camps and used those claims to justify its aggression.
Pakistan reiterated that no such camps exist and highlighted that international media had been allowed to inspect the alleged sites a day before the strikes.
The committee also expressed alarm at the danger posed to commercial airlines from Gulf countries flying in the region during the India-Pakistan war escalation. It further noted that the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project had been deliberately targeted.
Pakistan’s Armed Forces responded swiftly, defending national territory and reportedly shooting down five Indian fighter jets and drones. During this moment of crisis, the government commended military bravery and then restated its absolute backing of the Armed Forces.
The NSC based Pakistan’s right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter on its own decisions regarding time and method. The Armed Forces have been authorised to take appropriate action to avenge the loss of civilian lives and defend the nation’s sovereignty.
Calling on the global community, Pakistan urged world powers to hold India accountable for what it described as heinous violations of international laws amid the India-Pakistan war escalation. The country reaffirmed its commitment to peace, but with dignity and honour.
