The National Security Committee (NSC) on Wednesday authorised the armed forces of Pakistan to undertake corresponding actions in response to Indian airstrikes that targeted multiple civilian areas.
The NSC statement comes in the aftermath of coordinated missile, air and drone strikes launched by the Indian armed forces during the night of May 6–7. The attacks reportedly targeted multiple locations in Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, including Sialkot, Shakargarh, Muridke, Bahawalpur, Kotli, and Muzaffarabad.
The strikes resulted in the deaths of civilians — including women and children — and damage to civilian infrastructure such as mosques and a hydropower facility.
"On the night of 6/7 May 2025, the Indian Armed Forces launched coordinated missile, air and drone strikes on multiple locations within Pakistan’s sovereign territory, including Sialkot, Shakargarh, Muridke and Bahawalpur in Punjab, Kotli and Muzaffarabad in Azad Jammu and Kashmir," the statement read.
"These unprovoked and unjustified attacks deliberately targeted the civilian areas, on the false pretext of presence of imaginary terrorist camps, resulting in the martyrdom of innocent men, women, and children, and causing damage to the civilian infrastructure, including mosques," it added.
The forum also noted that India’s act of aggression also caused grave danger to commercial airlines belonging to brotherly gulf countries, endangering the lives of thousands of on-board passengers. Besides, the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project was also deliberately targeted in violation of international conventions.
NSC termed the attacks "unprovoked, cowardly, and unlawful acts of war," and emphasised that it reserves the right to respond under Article 51 of the UN Charter — which affirms a member state's right to self-defense.
The statement added that the Pakistan Air Force had downed five Indian fighter aircraft and one drone during its defensive operations and reaffirmed the nation's readiness to respond to further provocations. It also criticised India for endangering international civil aviation and violating international humanitarian norms by targeting civilian areas.
"Pakistan has been emphatically rejecting Indian allegations claiming the presence of terrorist camps on its territory," the statement added.
The NSC further said that immediately after April 22 attack, Pakistan made a sincere offer for a credible, transparent and neutral investigation, which unfortunately was not accepted. The international media personnel had already visited these “imaginary terrorist camps” on 6 May 2025, and more visits were planned for May 7 2025.
However, apprehensive of its falsehood being exposed, and without a shred of evidence about its claims, the Indian leadership, bereft of any morality, has now gone to the extent of attacking innocent civilians in order to satiate its delusional thoughts and short-sighted political objectives, it added.
Calling on the international community to take notice, the NSC urged global powers to hold India accountable for what it described as a deliberate escalation with potential regional consequences.
'26 civilians martyred in Indian strikes'
Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR), Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, confirmed on Wednesday that 26 civilians were martyred and 46 others injured in overnight Indian airstrikes targeting multiple civilian areas across Pakistan.
Speaking during a briefing on Wednesday, the DG ISPR said that India carried out 24 airstrikes on six different locations inside Pakistani territory.
He said that 13 people were martyred in Bahawalpur’s Ahmedpur East area. The deceased included two three-year-old girls, seven women, and four men. In addition, 37 individuals were injured, including nine women and 28 men.
In a separate incident near Muzaffarabad, a strike on Bilal Mosque resulted in three fatalities, while two children — a girl and a boy — sustained injuries, he added.
Another attack occurred in Kotli, where the Abbas Mosque was targeted. Two teenagers, a 16-year-old girl and an 18-year-old boy, were martyred. A woman and her daughter were also injured in the same incident.
He further stated that no casualties were reported in Sialkot or Shakargarh, although a dispensary in Shakargarh sustained minor damage.
The military spokesperson also confirmed that Indian army firing along the Line of Control martyred five civilians, including a five-year-old child.
'Dam targeting dangerous escalation'
In a press briefing, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry stated that India also targeted Nauseri Dam, part of the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower project. The military termed the move a “dangerous escalation” and warned of its implications.
“This is an unacceptable act,” DG ISPR said. “Targeting water infrastructure raises serious questions about compliance with international humanitarian law and war conventions.”
He also said the Indian strikes endangered civil aviation, with 57 international flights passing through Pakistani airspace at the time of the incident. “The presence of civilian aircraft highlights the recklessness of this operation,” he noted.
He added that Pakistani aircraft did not cross into Indian airspace, and no Indian aircraft were allowed into Pakistani territory.
“Pakistan has the right to respond to any act of aggression in a manner and time of its choosing,” Lt. Gen Chaudhry said, adding that the armed forces remain committed to defending the country’s sovereignty.
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