Islamabad: Pakistan on late Tuesday condemned what it described as India’s “cowardly” missile strikes, which resulted in the death of a child and injuries to two others, including a woman. The Pakistani Foreign Office labeled the strikes as a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter and international law.

In its statement, the Foreign Office asserted Pakistan’s right to respond in accordance with Article-51 of the UN Charter. The statement highlighted that the Indian Air Force, while remaining within its airspace, used standoff weapons to target civilian populations across the international border in Muridke and Bahawalpur, and across the Line of Control in Kotli and Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The strikes, according to the statement, not only claimed civilian lives but also posed a grave threat to commercial air traffic. The Foreign Office further criticized India’s actions, accusing its leadership of using the pretext of terrorism to advance a narrative of victimhood, thereby jeopardizing regional peace and security.

The statement warned that India’s actions have brought the nuclear-armed neighbors closer to a major conflict. It emphasized that the government, armed forces, and people of Pakistan stand united and remain resolute in protecting the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.