ISLAMABAD, May 7. /TASS/. Pakistan reserves the right to respond to any Indian aggression, with the Islamic republic’s armed forces being authorized to act correspondingly, Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC) said following a meeting convened under the chairmanship of the Pakistani prime minister.
"In consonance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, Pakistan reserves the right to respond, in self-defense, at a time, place, and manner of its choosing to avenge the loss of innocent Pakistani lives and blatant violation of its sovereignty," the NSC said in a statement. "The Armed Forces of Pakistan have duly been authorized to undertake corresponding actions in this regard," the statement reads.
According to it, "The NSC calls 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."
Relations between India and Pakistan escalated after the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, in which 25 Indian citizens and one Nepali national were killed. India said it had evidence that the attack was carried out by the Resistance Front, the sabotage wing of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba radical group (outlawed in Russia). New Delhi and Islamabad imposed reciprocal restrictive measures, suspending bilateral agreements and closing their airspace to each other’s aircraft.
In the small hours of Wednesday, Indian forces conducted Operation Sindoor, hitting nine targets in Pakistan and the Pakistani-controlled part of Kashmir where terrorists were based. During the operation, 17 terrorists were eliminated and 60 others were injured, the News18 TV channel reported. According to the Pakistani military, 26 civilians were killed, with 46 others injured. Five Indian Air Force fighter jets were shot down, Pakistan said. The Islamic republic closed its airspace for 48 hours and retaliated. As a result, 10 people were killed and 48 injured on the Line of Control in India’s union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Reuters reported.