National Security Committee at its meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on Wednesday emphatically stated that 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 by India.

The meeting authorized the Armed Forces to undertake corresponding actions in this regard.

The meeting was informed that Pakistan's armed forces resolutely defended the territorial integrity of Pakistan, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir, against the Indian aggression, while also bringing down five Indian fighter aircraft and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in the process.

The National Security Committee meeting noted that the entire Pakistani nation, deeply anguished by India’s naked aggression, greatly appreciates and admires the bravery and courage of the Armed Forces and their timely action in the defence of their motherland. The nation stands galvanized and resolute in the face of any further aggression.

The meeting 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 and laws.

It emphasized that Pakistan remains committed to peace, with dignity and honour and reiterated that it shall never allow any violation of its sovereignty, territorial integrity or permit any harm to its proud people.

The meeting was informed that Indian Armed Forces launched coordinated missile, air and drone strikes on multiple locations within Pakistan’s sovereign territory, including Sialkot, Shakargarh, Muridke and Bahawalpur in Punjab, Kotli and Muzaffarabad in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. These unprovoked and unjustified attacks deliberately targeted the civilian areas, on the false pretext of presence of imaginary terrorist camps, resulting in the martyrdom of innocent men, women, and children, and causing damage to the civilian infrastructure, including mosques.

It noted that India’s act of aggression also caused grave danger to commercial airlines belonging to brotherly 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.

The NSC unequivocally condemned these illegal acts as blatant violations of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, which manifestly constituted acts of war under international law. 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.

The forum offered fateha for the souls of the innocent civilians martyred in India’s strikes, extended its heartfelt condolences to the near ones of the martyrs and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.