Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday said India had committed an “aggression” by violating the Line of Control (LoC) and that Islamabad had the “right to respond”.
His remarks came after jets of the Indian Air Force (IAF) bombed terror camps across the LoC in the early hours of Tuesday.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was chairing an “important meeting” to discuss the situation, sources in Islamabad said.
India’s air strikes came 12 days after the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) carried out the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives .
Mr Qureshi said, “First, they committed an aggression against Pakistan today. It is a violation of the LoC. I consider it a violation of the LoC, and Pakistan has the right to give a suitable response in self-defence,” he told reporters after an “emergency meeting” at the Foreign Office (FO).
Mr. Qureshi briefed Mr. Khan after the meeting.
Earlier, Major General Asif Ghafoor, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army, said in a tweet,“Indian aircraft intruded from Muzafarabad sector. Facing timely and effective response from Pakistan Air Force released payload in haste while escaping which fell near Balakot. No casualties or damage.”
“Indian Air Force violated Line of Control Pakistan. Pakistan Air Force immediately scrambled. Indian aircraft gone back,” he tweeted.
Senator Sherry Rehman, a leading Opposition leader of the Pakistan People's Party, said that “Indian incursion” across the LoC was strategically “ill-advised and tactically pointless. Such moves only ratchet up tensions in a region bristling with anger.
“Obvious that (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi’s election wardrums make prospects for talks collateral damage. India’s ruling party sees no other way to win the elections hence, itching for war,” she said in a tweet.
Pakistani media has reported that the Government of India staged a symbolic intrusion due to domestic pressure.
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