Islamabad - Pakistan yesterday asked India to wait for its response to the air violation along the Line of Control that was repulsed by the Pakistan Air Force.

At a meeting of the National Security Committee, the civil and military leadership decided to respond to India at a time and place of its ‘own choice’.

The meeting was convened to combat the recent spike in tensions between nuclear-armed Pakistan and India after the Indian Air Force violated Pakistan’s airspace and the LoC.

Chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, the NSC meeting strongly rejected India’s claim of striking at an alleged terrorist camp inside Pakistan near Balakot and the claim of heavy causalities.

Indian airplanes entered into Pakistani territory at 2:55am and left at 2:58am (Pakistan time) as soon as the PAF fighter jets were scrambled, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told a press conference later.

Accompanied by Defence Minister Pervez Khattak and Finance Minister Asad Umar on the occasion, Qureshi said Indian politicians were endangering the regional peace due to their election compulsions.

He warned India not to challenge Pakistan and added that better sense should prevail in India.

The foreign minister said the nation should not be worried over the Indian act as the defenders of the country were fully prepared to respond to any misadventure.

“India is using lying and deceit to lodge propaganda against Pakistan and there has been no attack on Pakistani soil,” DG ISPR Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor told a media briefing in Rawalpindi in the evening.

“Not even a single brick or debris is present there. They are claiming 350 deaths. Had there been even [as less as] 10 casualties, there would be blood, funeral prayers, injuries,” the military spokesman asserted.

"A lie has no feet to stand on. You saw their first [fictitious] 'surgical strike' [after Uri incident of 2016]. I told them that you will never be able to surprise us,” he said.

“We have not been surprised [by India]. We were ready, we responded,” he said to a question about the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) preparedness.

"I said that we will surprise you [Indians]. Wait for that surprise. I said that our response will be different. The response will come differently,” he said in a categorical warning to New Delhi.

War frenzy has been sweeping across India even since a young man from Indian occupied Kashmir rammed a vehicle full of explosives into a military convoy in Pulwama, killing nearly four dozen soldiers on February 14.

Jaish-e-Muhammad militant group, which Delhi claims operates from Pakistan, purportedly claimed credit for the deadliest attack on Indian troops in IoK. Delhi put the blame squarely on the state of Pakistan, deployed its troops menacingly close to the border, and started issuing threats.

Though the Pulwama attack seemed to strike a nerve in India, with growing calls for ‘revenge’, defence analysts say India has few good military options.

Islamabad had offered India every possible help to investigate the attack and even held out an assurance that action would be taken if Delhi shared credible evidence of involvement of any group using Pakistan’s soil for attacks in mainland India.

NSC meeting details

The NSC meeting held earlier in the morning was attended by ministers of foreign affairs, defence and finance, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, the army chief, the naval chief, the air chief and other officials.

“Once again Indian government has resorted to a self-serving, reckless and fictitious claim. This action has been done for domestic consumption being in election environment, putting regional peace and stability at grave risk,” said an official statement issued after the meeting.“The claimed area of strike is open for the world to see the facts on ground. For this domestic and international media is being taken to the impact site,” it said.

The forum concluded that India has committed uncalled for aggression to which Pakistan shall respond at the time and place of its choosing.

“To take the nation on board, the government has decided to requisition joint session of the parliament (on Feb 27). The PM has summoned special meeting of the National

Command Authority NCA (on February 27),” the statement said.

PM Khan directed that elements of national power including the Armed Forces and the people of Pakistan to remain prepared for all eventualities. He decided to engage with global leadership to expose the irresponsible Indian policy in the region. The premier appreciated timely and effective response of PAF to repulse Indian attempt without any loss of life or property.

Tensions have run high after the Pulwama attack in held Kashmir in which more than 40 Indian soldiers were killed on February 14. India blamed Pakistan for the strike. Pakistan out-rightly rejected any involvement.

Minister’s press conference

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi at their press conference said Pakistan was a peace loving nation and had registered successes in the war on terrorism. He said peace had established in Pakistan as a result of sacrifices of martyrs. 

He said, “Pakistan will respond to the Indian aggression at time and place of its own choosing. India has committed uncalled for aggression and the Prime Minister has directed all elements of national power including the Armed Forces and the people of Pakistan to remain prepared for all eventualities.”

Qureshi said the NSC meeting also decided to engage with global leadership to expose irresponsible Indian policy in the region.

The NSC, he said, has constituted a committee comprising ministers of defence, finance and foreign affairs to contact parliamentary leadership in order to take them into confidence on this evolving situation.

The meeting decided that local and international media will be taken to the site of attack so that they could inspect themselves and expose the Indian propaganda.

“It has also been decided that the UNMOGIP (United Nations Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan) be also taken to the site. The meeting decided to engage international media and brief it on the evolving situation. I have talked to Turkish Foreign Minister and he briefed him about the Indian aggression,” he added.

The foreign minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had also had telephonic conversations with UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Zayed and as well as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman over the issue.

Qureshi said that an emergency meeting of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation group in Jeddah discussed the Pak-India tension and Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua represented Pakistan in the meeting.

The FM said that he had conveyed Pakistan's viewpoint and concerns on invitation to Indian Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj as Guest of Honour at an important upcoming meeting of OIC in UAE.

Qureshi said Prime Minister Khan’s offer of engagement and cooperation to India on 21st of this month was made with all sincerity. But it was not reciprocated in kind.

More from ISPR DG media talk

Director General Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), Major General Asif Ghafoor in his media talk said that Indian warplanes violated the Line of Control (LoC) early on Tuesday but he rejected the Indian claim of air strike inside Pakistan.

He said Indian claim to remain in Pakistani airspace for 21 minutes is nothing but lies and dared the Indian Air force to come and to spend such time in Pakistan's territory.

“India is using lying and deceit to lodge propaganda against Pakistan and there has been no attack on Pakistani soil”, he added.

He said ever since the Pulwama incident and threatening statements emerging from India, Pakistan Air force has been highly alert and regularly patrolling our skies.

He said last night, first visibility of Indian planes was noted in Lahore-Sialkot border. They were intercepted by PAF jets but they did not cross the border.

Another formation of Indian planes was noted in Okara-Bahawalpur sector and our combat patrol engaged it. That formation also did not cross the border.

The DG ISPR said the third and heavy air formation was witnessed in Kiran Sector of Muzaffarabad that had crossed the border.

Their formation came inside our territory 4 to 5 nautical miles. They remained four minutes in our airspace and fled when challenged. While fleeing, they unloaded their payloads at the place of Jabba. 

Major General Asif Ghafoor said Indian claim of killing 350 terrorists is totally false and fabricated as no debris or other destruction is found after their claimed strike. He said media will be taken to the site to show them the truth.

He said India should wait for our response that will come differently and as a surprise.

The DG ISPR said Prime Minister Imran Khan in his address had clearly stated that Pakistan will retaliate in case of any misadventure by India. Now India should get ready for our response which will definitely come, he added.

Ghafoor said Indian objective was aimed at killing civilians and to claim that they killed the terrorists, but they failed in their effort.

Earlier in a statement in day, DG ISPR said that the Indian Air Force (IAF) violated Pakistani airspace on Tuesday near the Line of Control (LoC) and were chased away by Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jets which were immediately scrambled to thwart any aggressive move by the country’s eastern neighbour.

“Indian Air Force violated Line of Control. Pakistan Air Force immediately scrambled. Indian aircraft went back,” he said in a tweet.

“Facing timely and effective response from Pakistan Air Force released payload in haste while escaping which fell near Balakot.”

Major General Ghafoor also tweeted images of the payload, shards of metal in a heavily forested area, dropped by the escaping Indian aircraft.