India targeted civilians, Pakistan responded responsibly: Atta Tarar 

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar has said that Pakistan is a responsible country and reserves the right to defend itself in accordance with international law. 

Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Tarar stated that Pakistan had not targeted any civilian population in India during its retaliatory strikes and had only hit military installations. “Pakistan has acted responsibly. We only targeted Indian military sites,” he said. 

The minister denied reports of any backchannel talks between India and Pakistan, saying, “We have no knowledge of any dialogue taking place between the two countries.” 

He said that on Friday night, India launched missile strikes targeting Pakistani airbases. “However, all our airbases remained safe and no assets were damaged,” he added. 

Referring to the UN Charter, Tarar said Pakistan had acted under Article 51, which gives nations the inherent right to self-defence. “Our response was carried out while preserving our right to self-defence,” he said. 

The information minister also accused India of targeting civilians in its attacks, adding that despite provocation, Pakistan had shown restraint. “India attacked Pakistani civilians. We responded with patience but also with determination,” he said. 

Tarar claimed that India itself carried out a missile strike in Amritsar, stating that New Delhi’s narrative was misleading. “India is trying to manipulate the facts by blaming Pakistan, but they themselves struck Amritsar,” he alleged. 

“Pakistan was attacked, and we gave a clear and appropriate response,” Tarar concluded. 

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