Islamabad – In a televised address to the nation on Saturday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly criticized India, accusing it of imposing an “unjustified and unfair war” on Pakistan.1
Sharif asserted that “the world has now witnessed the dignity of the Pakistani nation, its self-respect, and its unity,” adding that “India used the Pahalgam incident as a pretext to launch military aggression against Pakistan.”
The Pakistani Prime Minister described India’s actions as “cowardly and shameful,” accusing them of “committing blatant aggression,” but stressed that Pakistan “stood firm and triumphed in the war.”2
Sharif stated that “Pakistan made a deliberate decision to respond to Indian aggression in the language it understands – with force,” emphasizing that “our armed forces managed within hours to silence the enemy’s guns in a way that history will remember.”3
He also described “the scene of Indian air bases turning into ruins” as “a direct result of Pakistan’s decisive response,” adding that “the blood of our brave soldiers boils with fear of the enemy’s malicious intentions.”
The Pakistani Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to the country’s civilian and military leadership, the media, and the citizens, for standing united in the face of tensions with India. He also thanked Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir for his “exemplary” leadership.
He also praised Chief of Air Staff Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu and the personnel of the Pakistan Air Force for their “outstanding” performance during the recent escalation. Prime Minister Sharif also thanked Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif for his leadership and President Asif Ali Zardari for his “valuable consultations.”4
Sharif commended the journalists and social media users who played a “vital role” in countering Indian disinformation campaigns.