Uncalled for aggression, will respond at time & place of our choosing, says Pak after NSC meeting

After India conducted air strikes beyond the Line of Control(LoC) on Tuesday, Pakistan's National Security Committee (NSC) held a meeting in which it said India has committed "uncalled for aggression to which Pakistan shall respond at the time and place of its choosing".

"Forum (NSC) strongly rejected Indian claim of targeting an alleged terrorist camp near Balakot and the claim of heavy casualties. Once again Indian government has resorted to a self serving, reckless and fictitious claim," said a statement issued after the NSC meeting in Islamabad.

The country's top security body "concluded that India has committed uncalled for aggression to which Pakistan shall respond at the time and place of its choosing," it added.

It also invited the world media to see the facts on ground and proposed a visit to the site.

The statement said the "action has been done for domestic consumption being in election environment, putting regional peace and stability at grave risk." To take the nation on board, the government has decided to requisition a joint session of the Parliament, the statement added.

Prime Minister Khan also summoned a special meeting of the National Command Authority (NCA) on Wednesday.

Khan will also engage with global leadership to "expose irresponsible" Indian policy in the region, the statement said.

India's foreign office had said earlier that "in an intelligence led operation in the early hours of today, India struck the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot," adding,"in this operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for fidayeen action were eliminated." 

"This facility at Balakot was headed by MAULANA YOUSUF AZHAR (alias USTAD GHOURI), the brother-in-law of MASOOD AZHAR, chief of JeM," it said.

India's strikes comes just twelve days after the terrorist attack at Pulwama in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. JeM had taken responsibility for the attack. 

The Pakistan Army alleged that the Indian Air Force violated the Line of Control (LoC) in Muzafarabad sector.

"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," Major General Asif Ghafoor, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army," said in a tweet.

"Indian Air Force violated Line of Control Pakistan(LoC). Pakistan Air Force immediately scrambled. Indian aircraft gone back," he tweeted. 

 Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said India has committed "aggression" by violating the LoC and Islamabad has "right to respond".