Transcript of the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister’s Briefing to the Islamabad-based Ambassadors on Indian Aggression against Pakistan

Excellencies,

1. I welcome you to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Today’s briefing is being held to apprise you of Pakistan’s perspective on the Indian aggression, made during the intervening night of 6 and 7 May 2025.

2. As you are aware, India carried out multiple strikes in Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. It violated Pakistan’s sovereignty, and endangered regional peace and stability.

3. India launched coordinated missile, air and drone strikes on multiple locations within Pakistan’s sovereign territory, including Sialkot, Shakargarh, Muridke and Bahawalpur. Kotli and Muzaffarabad in Azad Jammu and Kashmir were also hit.

4. These unprovoked and unjustified attacks deliberately targeted the civilian areas – on the false pretext of presence of terrorist infrastructure – resulting in the martyrdom of innocent men, women, and children. So far, there are reports of deaths of 26 persons and injury to another 46.

5. The deliberate targeting of civilians, including innocent women and children, is a heinous and shameful crime.

6. Some mosques were destroyed or damaged due to the Indian strikes. Attacking the places of worship is a particularly reprehensible step.

7. The Indian action caused serious risk to commercial air traffic, endangering the lives of thousands of on-board passengers, as a number of passenger flights were in the air at the time of Indian strikes.

8. Separately, the Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project in Azad Jammu and Kashmir was targeted in violation of relevant international conventions. The action assumes significance in the context of India’s decision to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance and the attendant rhetoric regarding water flows to Pakistan.

9. Pakistan unequivocally condemns these illegal acts as blatant violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Under the international law, the Indian actions manifestly constitute acts of war.

10. The Pakistan Air Force engaged with the Indian fighter jets in self-defense, while bringing down five Indian fighter aircraft and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in the process.

11. The Indian actions are a flagrant violation of the UN Charter, international law, and established norms of governing the inter-state relations.

12. It is most unfortunate that India’s reckless conduct has brought the two nuclear-armed states closer to a major conflict. India’s jingoism and war hysteria should be a source of serious concern for the world.

13. South Asia is home to over one-fifth of the world population. It could ill-afford the irresponsible actions like the ones carried out by India, last night.

14. In the wake of Pahalgam attack, the Indian leadership has once again used the bogey of terrorism to advance its sham narrative of victimhood, jeopardizing regional peace. We once again reject any attempt to link the Pahalgam Attack with Pakistan.

15. India blamed Pakistan for the Pahalgam Attack, without any verifiable evidence or credible investigations. On 26 April 2025, the Prime Minister of Pakistan proposed a transparent and independent probe into this tragic incident through neutral investigators. Till date, India has not formally responded to this constructive proposal. Instead, it chose the path of belligerence and aggression.

16. We unequivocally reject the baseless Indian claims of hitting the terrorist infrastructure.

17. Pakistan has been emphatically rejecting the Indian claims about the presence of terrorist camps on its territory. The international media personnel visited the sites of some of the so-called “terrorist camps” on 6 May 2025. Similar visits were also planned for 7 May 2025.

18. A number of countries had called for exercise of restraint during the last two weeks. The international organizations like United Nations and Organization of Islamic Cooperation had also counseled the same. It is highly deplorable that India did not pay heed to these calls.

19. We have been apprising our international partners of India’s mal-intentions during the last two weeks. The Indian actions of the last night demonstrate that our concerns were genuine.

20. The Prime Minister of Pakistan chaired a meeting of the National Security Committee, today. The meeting, inter alia, declared that, in accordance with Article51 of the UN Charter, Pakistan reserves the right to respond to Indian aggression,at a time and place of its choosing. We remain committed to defending our sovereignty and territorial integrity with full vigor.

21. The international community should hold India accountable for its irresponsible, unlawful and belligerent conduct.

I thank you!
Islamabad
8 May 2025