Rattled Nawaz Sharif reviews LoC situation after India's surgical strikes

Following India’s surgical strikes against terror bases across the LoC, a rattled Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today spent a hectic day reviewing Pakistan's defence preparedness, holding talks with army chief Raheel Sharif and other top aides.

Sharif and Raheel had a telephonic conversation during which they discussed situation at the Line of Control (LoC), local media reported. 

Raheel apprised the premier over the firing incidents at the LoC, the reports said, adding the army chief told him that Indian claims of surgical strikes were "baseless". 

Sharif told the army chief that the entire nation had high morale and was committed to defend the motherland along with the armed forces. 

Indian army’s ‘surgical strikes” to take down terror camps and launch pads in the Pakistan occupied Kashmir has been termed as “Indian aggression on the Line of Control” by Pakistan. 

In a statement released by the PMO, Sharif said, "No external force has the capability or capacity to challenge the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan. We have the best armed forces in the world and we are proud of that."

Sharif has convened a cabinet meeting tomorrow. He also called a meeting of National Security Committee on Tuesday with special invitation to all the Chief Ministers to deliberate at length the emerging scenario across the Line of Control and "brutal state oppression" in Kashmir. 

Another statement said that he convened the joint session of the Parliament on Wednesday to reaffirm the national resolve for safeguarding the sovereignty and preserving the territorial integrity of the motherland against any kind of external or internal threat as well as reiterating the moral, political and diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir. 

Sharif will take nation and Parliament into confidence, it added. 

"Agenda item number one of cabinet meeting will be discussion on present Kashmir situation, UNGA visit and bilateral meetings of PM in New York. Foreign Secretary (Aizaz Chaudhry) will brief the cabinet before the discussion," the statement said. 

Sharif was also briefed on the LoC situation by National Security Advisor (NSA) General Nasir Janjua after Indian Army carried out 5-6 surgical strikes against terror bases across the LoC. 

The NSA submitted a "comprehensive report" on the LoC situation to Sharif, the Prime Minister's Office said. 

It added the Prime Minister was briefed regularly on the situation on the LoC by the security institutions today. 

Sharif showed "satisfaction on the level of preparedness of Pakistani armed forces to match any "provocation" by Indian security forces," it said in a statement. 

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan also met Sharif and the present security situation was "discussed at length", it added. 

Sharif launched a fresh rhetoric and said that Kashmir was "unfinished 
agenda of partition" and Pakistan would continue to provide support to Kashmiris in their struggle for self-determination. 

"Jammu and Kashmir dispute is an unfinished agenda of the partition of the sub-continent," Sharif said. 

Moderate Hurriyat Conference headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has asked India and Pakistan to de-escalate tensions along the Line of Control.

The Hurriyat spokesman said the two nuclear neighbours should behave maturely and "instead of confrontations which can only be disastrous for the entire region engage in serious dialogue to resolve issues and bring peace". 
    
Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has dismissed as "fabrication of truth" India's claim that it conducted a military operation across the LoC, terming it as a "quest" by India to create media hype by rebranding cross- border fire as surgical strike. 

"There has been no surgical strike by India, instead there had been cross border fire initiated and conducted by India which is existential phenomenon," it said.

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