Army vows 'befitting reply' to aggression
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and DG ISPR Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif brief the political leadership on the ongoing tensions with India. Photo: Express
The military on Sunday assured senior political leaders that Pakistan's armed forces are fully prepared to give a befitting response to the enemy if it dared any aggression against Pakistan, sources said on Sunday after an in-camera briefing to political parties.
The session was arranged by the government, where Information Minister Ata Tarar and Director General of Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry briefed the politicians about the ongoing escalation between Pakistan and India following the April 22 Pahalgam attack.
"Pakistan is a peaceful country and desires regional stability," a source quoted the ISPR chief as telling the meeting. "But if aggression is imposed on us, the armed forces are ready to give a befitting reply to the enemy," Gen Chaudhry said.
Tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours escalated after the April 22 attack on tourists in the scenic resort town of Pahalgam in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which left at least 26 people dead.
India blamed Pakistan for the incident and took a series of punitive actions, including suspending the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), closing the Wagah-Attari border and Pakistan High Commission in Delhi, revoking visas, and other retaliatory steps.
Pakistan has strongly rejected the allegations and responded with reciprocal measures, including closure of its airspace to Indian aircraft, suspension of trade, and additional diplomatic actions.
Against this backdrop, the in-camera session focused on national security issues, the sources said. The DG ISPR briefed the participants about the preparations of the army after India's false flag operation in Pahalgam, while Ata Tarar highlighted Pakistan's diplomatic outreach to international stakeholders.
Following the session, political leaders from across the spectrum expressed full support for the armed forces and affirmed national unity in the face of external threats.
The meeting was attended by Ali Haider Gilani of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), former Azad Kashmir prime minister Sardar Atiq, Noor Alam Khan of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, Minister of State Khel Das, and Minister of State Barrister Aqeel Malik.
Others who participated in the session included Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha, Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, Minister of State Amir Muqam, Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani, PPP's Qamar Zaman Kaira, former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) chief minister Mahmood Khan, Sindh ministers Nasir Shah, Sharjeel Memon and Saeed Ghani, PPP-Parliamentarians Information Secretary Shazia Marri, and Special Assistant to Prime Minister Shahbaz Badar.