'Will avenge every drop of martyrs' blood,' PM warns India
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday condemned Indian military aggression and warned New Delhi of consequences, vowing that “every drop of the martyrs’ blood will be avenged.”
His statement came after India launched missile, air and drone strikes overnight on May 6–7, targeting multiple locations across Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir in Pakistan.
Addressing the nation in a televised speech, the premier stated that Pakistan's response to the unprovoked attack has demonstrated its military strength and resolve. “Last night, India made a grave mistake by launching an attack on us,” the PM said. “It will have to pay the price for this aggression.”
While highlighting India’s military superiority in numbers, Sharif praised the Pakistan Air Force for its swift retaliation, saying it forced Indian forces to retreat in the face of a decisive counterattack.
“It didn’t take long for a force many times larger than ours to bow before our will. Five Indian warplanes, symbols of its pride, were reduced to wreckage. Our response was decisive, and the wounds we inflicted will not heal easily,” he reiterated.
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The PM also mourned the loss of innocent lives in the Indian attack, revealing that 26 Pakistani civilians were martyred, including a seven-year-old boy, whose funeral he had attended earlier in the day.
“We stand with the families of the martyrs and pray for the recovery of the injured. We pledge that every drop of the martyrs’ blood will be accounted for,” he added.
It must be noted that Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry in a press briefing informed that Indian forces killed at least 31 civilians and injured 71 others in strikes targeting Pakistan’s civilian population.
PM Shehbaz praised the professionalism and bravery of the Pakistan Armed Forces along the Line of Control (LoC), during which they downed five Indian fighter jets using what he described as "exceptional skill and courage." “Our forces have proven once again that they know how to deliver a crushing response. We salute their valor,” he maintained.
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Reaffirming Pakistan's conventional military strength, he congratulated the chiefs of the armed forces, saying that the entire nation takes pride in their leadership and the performance of the troops.
Issuing a stern warning to India, the PM said New Delhi “will have to suffer the consequences,” vowing that “every drop of blood” spilled in last night’s airstrikes would be avenged.
“This is the cowardly enemy that targets unarmed civilians and believes itself stronger. But we proved last night that Pakistan knows how to deliver a befitting response in its defense. The nation salutes the bravery and strength of our armed forces,” he stated.
While addressing the Pahalgam incident in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, which India cited as justification for its attack, PM Shehbaz rejected the accusation as baseless, noting that Pakistan had offered to investigate the matter, a proposal India ignored.
Read more: Pakistan downs five Indian fighter jets in retaliation for India's missile attack
“This act of aggression is a clear attempt to divert attention from the realities of occupied Kashmir,” he said, adding that no unilateral action by India can change the disputed status of the region. He reiterated Pakistan's demand for the implementation of UN resolutions granting the people of Kashmir their right to self-determination.
Meanwhile, the National Security Committee earlier on Wednesday authorised the armed forces of Pakistan to undertake corresponding actions in response to Indian airstrikes that targeted multiple civilian areas.
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.
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.