PM Shehbaz Warns India of Retaliation, Lauds Armed Forces for Swift Response to Missile Strikes
Islamabad, The Gulf Observer: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday strongly condemned India’s recent missile strikes, declaring that New Delhi had committed a “grave mistake” by resorting to aggression and miscalculating Pakistan’s resolve. In a nationally televised address, the prime minister vowed that India would face the consequences of its actions.
“India thought Pakistan would back off, but it forgets that this nation is home to brave sons who have always defended their motherland, shedding the last drop of their blood,” the prime minister stated.
Referring to Pakistan’s swift military response, he said the Pakistan Air Force shot down five Indian combat jets “within hours,” reducing them to “a pile of fragments and ashes.” He likened the response to the heroic legacy of Squadron Leader MM Alam, invoking the “thunderous sound” of his defiance against aggression.
The prime minister said India’s attack led to the martyrdom of 26 innocent civilians and injured 46 others, including women and children. He emotionally recounted the funeral of seven-year-old Shaheed Irtaza Abbas, who was struck by a splinter while at home with his mother and brother. “A tender flower withered away and attained shahadat,” he remarked solemnly.
He pledged that every drop of blood spilled would be accounted for, denouncing India’s actions as cowardly attacks against innocent civilians. “Pakistan has shown how to respond with a solid blow,” he added.
Highlighting the professionalism and courage of the Pakistan Air Force, he said that in a one-hour engagement at the Line of Control, Pakistani pilots, while flying within national airspace, “proved their superiority in conventional warfare.”
The prime minister saluted the country’s military leadership and personnel, including Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Babar Sidhu, and Naval Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf. “I, along with 240 million Pakistanis, salute every officer and soldier of Pakistan,” he said.
Rejecting Indian allegations against Pakistan regarding the April 22 Pahalgam incident, the prime minister called the accusations “unreasonable.” He reiterated that Pakistan had offered a transparent and credible international investigation—an offer acknowledged by the international community—but was met with aggression from India, in violation of international laws and norms.
“Under international law and United Nations Security Council resolutions, Jammu and Kashmir remains a disputed territory. No Indian decision can alter that reality,” he stressed.
Prime Minister Sharif also underlined that Pakistan, as a victim of terrorism, had lost over 90,000 lives and suffered $152 billion in economic losses. He rejected any suggestion that India’s aggression would distract Pakistan from its commitment to eradicating terrorism.
“Our armed forces and our people stand united in the defence of our sovereignty and solidarity. The nation is fully behind its valiant forces and will face and defeat any aggression together,” he affirmed.
