Pakistan authorizes military response after Indian strikes kill 26 civilians

Pakistan’s top civil-military body has declared that the country's Armed Forces, in line with the right of self-defence and the response framework outlined in the National Security Committee (NSC) statement of April 22, 2025, have "resolutely defended the country’s territorial integrity" — including Azad Jammu and Kashmir — by downing five Indian fighter jets and unmanned aerial vehicles in response to what Islamabad labelled an act of Indian aggression.

The announcement was made following a meeting of the National Security Committee held on Wednesday in Islamabad under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

In a statement released after the high-level session, the NSC said 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 the flagrant violation of its sovereignty. The Armed Forces of Pakistan, it added, have been fully authorised to undertake all appropriate actions in this regard.

The Committee offered Fateha for the souls of innocent civilians martyred in the Indian strikes, conveyed its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, and wished a swift recovery to the wounded. The forum extensively deliberated on the serious developments resulting from what it described as India’s unprovoked, cowardly, and unlawful act of war.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, during the night of May 6 to 7, Indian Armed Forces carried out coordinated missile, air, and drone strikes on multiple targets within Pakistan’s sovereign territory. The targeted areas included Sialkot, Shakargarh, Muridke, and Bahawalpur in Punjab, as well as Kotli and Muzaffarabad in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

“These unprovoked and unjustified attacks,” the NSC statement noted, “deliberately targeted civilian areas on the false pretext of the presence of imaginary terrorist camps.” The strikes led to the martyrdom of innocent men, women, and children, and damaged civilian infrastructure, including mosques.

The NSC also warned that India's actions endangered international civil aviation. “India’s act of aggression posed a grave threat to commercial airlines from brotherly Gulf countries, putting at risk the lives of thousands of passengers on board.” It added that the Neelum–Jhelum Hydropower Project was also deliberately struck, in breach of international conventions.

Calling the actions a flagrant violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the NSC unequivocally condemned the Indian strikes and asserted they amounted to acts of war under international law. It called the deliberate targeting of civilians, including women and children, by the Indian military “a heinous and shameful crime” that contravenes every norm of human behavior and all international legal standards.

The Committee reiterated that Pakistan has consistently rejected Indian allegations about the existence of terrorist camps within its borders. Following the NSC’s April 22 statement, Pakistan had offered an invitation for a credible, transparent, and neutral investigation—a proposal that was not accepted by India.

To expose the falsity of the Indian claims, international media representatives were taken to the alleged “terrorist camp” locations on May 6, with additional visits planned for May 7. However, the statement said, “fearing its falsehoods would be exposed and lacking any credible evidence, the Indian leadership, bereft of morality, chose instead to attack innocent civilians to satisfy its delusional ambitions and short-sighted political goals.”

Such acts, the NSC underlined, are intolerable and unacceptable to Pakistan. “India, against all sanity and rationality, has once again ignited an inferno in the region. The responsibility for the consequences lies squarely with India.”

The Committee expressed deep anguish over India’s “naked aggression” and praised the Armed Forces for their bravery, professionalism, and timely action in defending the homeland. “The entire nation appreciates and admires the courage of our troops,” the statement read, adding that the Pakistani people stand united and resolute against any further aggression.

Calling on the international community to take serious note of the gravity of the situation, the NSC urged global actors to hold India accountable for its “unprovoked illegal actions” and blatant violations of international laws and norms.

The NSC reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to peace—“with dignity and honour”—and stressed that the country would never allow its sovereignty and territorial integrity to be violated or its people harmed.

By Tamilla Hasanova