Pakistan Authorizes Military ‘to Avenge' India Strikes
Pakistan soldiers after India strikes. Soldiers patrol near the site of a damaged mosque after Indian strikes in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, on May 7, 2025. India and Pakistan exchanged heavy artillery fire along their contested frontier on May 7 after New Delhi launched deadly missile strikes on its arch-rival, in the worst violence between the nuclear-armed neighbours in two decades.
SAJJAD QAYYUM/AFP via Getty Images
Pakistan's National Security Council said it had authorized the country's armed forces "to avenge" the strikes by India.
India launched airstrikes on Wednesday in "Operation Sindoor" targeting alleged terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
But Pakistan said the strikes had killed and injured civilians, including a woman and a child at a mosque that was hit.
"In consonance with Article-51 of the UN Charter, Pakistan reserves the right to respond, in self-defence, at a time, place, and manner of its choosing to avenge the loss of innocent Pakistani lives and blatant violation of its sovereignty," Pakistan's NSC said in a statement after its meeting on May 7.
"The Armed Forces of Pakistan have duly been authorized to undertake corresponding actions in this regard."
"Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistan military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution.
"We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable."
Pakistan responded immediately to the strikes with shelling into Indian-administered Kashmir, which India said killed several civilians.
Tensions erupted between India and Pakistan, nuclear-armed neighbors, over a massacre of 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists, at a beauty spot in Pahalgam in Indian-controlled Kashmir.
India has accused the Pakistani government of having a hand in what it has described as a terror attack linked to the Pakistan-based Islamist group Lashkar-e-Taiba.
But Pakistan denies any involvement in the attack.
Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif had said Pakistan is "willing to wrap up these things" if India halts its actions, but cautioned: "If India attacks, we'll respond."
India's Defense Ministry sought to contain the response to its strikes.
"Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistan military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution," the ministry said in a statement.
"We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable."
This is a breaking news story and more information will be added soon.
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This story was originally published May 7, 2025 at 5:42 AM.
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