Pakistan has strongly condemned a series of coordinated Indian missile, air, and drone strikes carried out overnight on May 6-7, terming them unprovoked, unjustified, and blatant violations of its sovereignty and international law.
In a high-level briefing to Islamabad-based ambassadors against Indian aggression on Thursday, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar apprised them (diplomatic corps) of Pakistan’s official stance, calling the attacks ‘heinous crimes’ that endangered regional peace and stability.
The strikes reportedly targeted multiple civilian areas across Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, including Sialkot, Shakargarh, Muridke, Bahawalpur, Kotli, and Muzaffarabad.
According to the Foreign Minister, the attacks resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians and injuries to 46 others. Among the damaged infrastructure were mosques and the Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project, the latter drawing specific concern in the context of India’s recent move to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty.
The Foreign Minister accused India of endangering civilian air traffic by launching the strikes during active flight operations and condemned the targeting of places of worship. ‘Attacking mosques is a particularly reprehensible step,’ he said.
Responding to the Indian claim that the strikes targeted terrorist infrastructure following the Pahalgam attack, Pakistan rejected the allegations as baseless and politically motivated.
The Foreign Minister highlighted that international journalists had visited the alleged terror sites prior to the strikes, with more visits scheduled before the attacks occurred.
Pakistan also reiterated that it had proposed a neutral and transparent investigation into the Pahalgam incident-a proposal India has not responded to-while continuing to blame Pakistan without presenting credible evidence.
The Pakistan Air Force reportedly engaged the intruding Indian aircraft in self-defense, shooting down five Indian fighter jets and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The Foreign Minister warned that India’s actions brought two nuclear-armed states perilously close to conflict, calling upon the international community to take notice and hold India accountable.
‘Pakistan reserves the right to respond to Indian aggression at a time and place of its choosing,’ he emphasized, citing Article 51 of the UN Charter. A National Security Committee meeting chaired by Prime Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to defend its sovereignty with full vigor.
He said a number of countries had called for exercise of restraint during the last two weeks. The international organizations like United Nations and Organization of Islamic Cooperation had also counseled the same. It is highly deplorable that India did not pay heed to these calls.
The Foreign Minister said that we have been apprising our international partners of India’s mal-intentions during the last two weeks. The Indian actions of the last night demonstrate that our concerns were genuine.
The briefing concluded with a call to the global community to intervene and ensure peace in South Asia, which is home to more than one-fifth of the world’s population.