Egypt's Foreign Ministry has stated it is following with deep concern current developments between India and Pakistan, which reportedly included an exchange of shelling and cross-border strikes resulting in casualties, and has urged restraint from both sides. In a statement, the ministry emphasised the importance of all efforts being made to achieve de-escalation and to defuse the crisis, in order to prevent the region from sliding into further tension and escalation. Cairo also called on India and Pakistan to exercise the highest degree of restraint and to prioritise the language of dialogue through diplomatic channels. The statement further underscored the importance of resorting to peaceful solutions in a manner that achieves the aspirations and hopes of what it referred to as the "two friendly peoples" for calm and stability. The call for de-escalation followed reports of significant military actions. India launched early-morning strikes on both Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Wednesday, with Islamabad claiming its forces had shot down five Indian Air Force jets in "self-defence," marking a significant escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbours. These actions followed a massacre of tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir more than two weeks prior, an attack New Delhi blamed on Islamabad, a charge Pakistan denied. Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif's office issued a statement on Wednesday detailing a National Security Committee (NSC) meeting convened under his chairmanship. The forum "offered Fateha for the souls of the innocent civilians martyred in India's strikes, extended its heartfelt condolences to the near ones of the martyrs and wished a speedy recovery to the injured." The NSC "deliberated upon the grave developments arising out of India's unprovoked, cowardly and unlawful act of war." According to the NSC statement, "On the night of 6/7 May 2025, the Indian Armed Forces launched coordinated missile, air and drone strikes on multiple locations within Pakistan's sovereign territory, including Sialkot, Shakargarh, Muridke and Bahawalpur in Punjab, Kotli and Muzaffarabad in Azad Jammu and Kashmir." The statement alleged, "These unprovoked and unjustified attacks deliberately targeted the civilian areas, on the false pretext of presence of imaginary terrorist camps, resulting in the martyrdom of innocent men, women, and children, and causing damage to the civilian infrastructure, including mosques." It further claimed, "India's act of aggression also caused grave danger to commercial airlines belonging to brotherly gulf countries, endangering the lives of thousands of on-board passengers. Besides, the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project was also deliberately targeted in violation of international conventions." The NSC "unequivocally condemned these illegal acts as blatant violations of Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity, which manifestly constituted acts of war under international law." It added, "The deliberate targeting of civilians, including innocent women and children, by the Indian military constitutes a heinous and shameful crime, that is in violation of all norms of human behaviour and the provisions of international law." Pakistan stated it "has been emphatically rejecting Indian allegations claiming the presence of terrorist camps on its territory." The NSC statement recalled that "immediately after 22 April 2025, Pakistan made a sincere offer for a credible, transparent and neutral investigation, which unfortunately was not accepted." It also mentioned that "international media personnel had already visited these "imaginary terrorist camps" on 6 May 2025, and more visits were planned for 7 May 2025." The statement accused the Indian leadership of attacking "innocent civilians in order to satiate its delusional thoughts and short-sighted political objectives," adding, "India, against all sanity and rationality has once again ignited an inferno in the region, the responsibility for ensuing consequences shall lie squarely with India." The NSC declared that "The Armed Forces of Pakistan, in line with the exercise of the right of self defense and response framework outlined in NSC statement dated 22 April 2025, resolutely defended the territorial integrity of Pakistan, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir, against the Indian aggression, while also bringing down five Indian fighter aircraftsand Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in the process." Furthermore, the committee stated, "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. The Armed Forces of Pakistan have duly been authorized to undertake corresponding actions in this regard." The statement noted the nation's appreciation for the armed forces and that "The nation stands galvanized and resolute in the face of any further aggression." The NSC called upon the international community "to recognize the gravity of India's unprovoked illegal actions and to hold it accountable for its blatant violations of international norms and laws." It concluded that Pakistan "remains committed to peace, with dignity and honour, and reiterates that it shall never allow any violation of its sovereignty, territorial integrity or permit any harm to its proud people." Earlier, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif stated that Pakistan is giving a "befitting reply" to India's actions. "The cunning enemy has carried out a cowardly attack on five places in Pakistan," Sharif said. "Pakistan has every right to give a befitting reply to this act of war imposed by India and a befitting reply is being given." He added, "The entire nation is with the Pakistani Armed Forces and the morale and spirit of the entire Pakistani nation is high. The Pakistani nation and the Pakistani Armed Forces know how to deal with the enemy very well. The enemy will never be allowed to succeed in his nefarious objectives." India said its strikes were "precision strikes" on "terrorist infrastructure" at nine sites in Pakistan, describing the attacks as "focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature." India's defence ministry did not specify the locations of the strikes in Pakistan but said it was "hitting terrorist infrastructure." The ministry added that "no Pakistani military facilities have been targeted," saying "India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution." Tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours have been escalating since last month when New Delhi blamed Islamabad for an attack by militants in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people. Pakistan has previously denied any involvement in that attack. Since the killings, the two countries have downgraded diplomatic relations, and India has suspended participation in a key water-sharing treaty.
