Pakistan giving 'befitting reply' to act of war imposed by India: PM Sharif
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said early Wednesday that India's strikes on Pakistani cities and Pakistan-administered Kashmir were a "cowardly attack" and that Islamabad was giving a “befitting reply” to the “act of war" by New Delhi.
“The people and armed forces of Pakistan are fully capable of confronting any hostile actions,” Sharif stated. “The enemy’s malicious intentions will be thwarted.”
India earlier confirmed it had launched missile strikes on nine locations within Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, citing links to cross-border terrorism. In response, Pakistan’s military reported that Indian missiles hit multiple cities, including Bahawalpur, Muridke, Sialkot, Shakargarh, Ahmadpur Sharqia, Muzaffarabad, and Kotli.
According to Pakistan’s military spokesperson, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the attacks resulted in at least eight deaths, including one child, and injured 35 others. Two individuals remain unaccounted for.
In retaliation, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif announced that the country’s air defenses had shot down five Indian fighter jets. This claim has not been independently verified.
Pakistan has taken the matter to the United Nations Security Council, asserting that India’s actions threaten regional stability and international peace. A statement from the Foreign Ministry emphasized that Pakistan retains the right to respond "at a time and place of its choosing," citing Article 51 of the UN Charter, which recognizes the right to self-defense.
The Foreign Ministry further condemned the Indian strikes as an "unprovoked and blatant act of war," denouncing them as a breach of Pakistan's sovereignty.
This latest spike in hostilities follows a deadly attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, located in Indian-administered Kashmir, which left 26 dead. India has attributed the assault to militant groups allegedly supported from across the border, an accusation Pakistan firmly denies.
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