Pakistan has every right of ‘befitting response’ against missile strike: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif late Tuesday said Pakistan has every right to give a “befitting response” to India after it conducted missile strikes against Pakistan.

“The enemy has carried out a cowardly attack at five locations in Pakistan and we are ready to give a befitting response to this act of war imposed on us,” he said in a statement issued by the PM Office.

The prime minister said the entire nation stood by the country’s armed forces with high morale and spirits.

“Our nation and armed forces are undeterred to deal with the enemy,” he said.

PM Sharif said, “Pakistan will not allow its enemy to succeed in its nefarious objectives.”

India on late Tuesday conducted missile strikes at five locations in Pakistan, killing a child and injuring two others including a woman.

According to security sources, Indian aircraft from their airspace hit the areas in Kotli, Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Ahmad Pur Sharqia and Muridke.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Khwaja Asif late Tuesday said Pakistan would give a full response to Indian missile strikes, both at military and diplomatic fronts.

Talking to a private television channel, he said India did not have enough courage to use Pakistan’s airspace due to the vigilance of the Pakistan Air Force.

He said India had fired missiles from its airspace, targeting civilians including children and women.

He invited the foreign media to visit various places where the civilian population was targeted by missile attacks.

The Defence Minister reiterated that an international investigation needed to be conducted into the Pahalgam incident.

“Pakistan will give a full response to India, and the ‘debt’ will be paid off very soon,” he warned India.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar strongly condemning the Indian missile strikes inside Pakistan said the act had jeopardized regional peace.

“Pakistan strongly condemns India’s aggression, which is a flagrant violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty, the UN Charter & international law,” he said on his social media platform X late Tuesday.

The DPM said India’s aggression had “jeopardized the regional peace”.

He said Pakistan reserved the right to respond as per Article 51 of the UN Charter and vowed to take measures as a defence.

“We will protect our sovereignty and territorial integrity by all means,” he said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan on late Tuesday strongly condemned India’s “cowardly action” of missile strikes, terming it a flagrant violation of the UN Charter, international law, and established norms of inter-state relations.

“Pakistan reserves the right to respond appropriately at a time and place of its choosing, in accordance with the Article-51 of the UN Charter, and as enshrined in international law,” the Foreign Office said in a statement issued here.

India on late Tuesday conducted missile strikes at five locations in Pakistan, killing a child and injuring two others including a woman.

The FO statement said, “In an unprovoked and blatant act of war, the Indian Air Force, while remaining within Indian airspace, has violated Pakistan’s sovereignty using standoff weapons, targeting civilian population across the international border in Muridke and Bahawalpur, and across Line of Control in Kotli and Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir.”