ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The National Security Council and caretaker federal cabinet will meet today (Friday) to review the prevailing tense situation between Pakistan and neighbourly country Iran in the backdrop of recent attacks by both countries in each other's areas.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar will chair the meeting of the NSC. Earlier the session was to be held at 2:45 pm but now it will be held at 4:30 pm with a slight change in timing.
Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Naval Chief, Chief of the Air Staff and other high ranking officials of the secret services will attend the meeting.
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The meeting will be briefed about Pakistan-Iran tense relations. The NSC will take important decisions in the meeting.
Meanwhile, the caretaker federal cabinet will also meet today to discuss the current national security situation. The meeting will be held at 5:30 pm.
The rare military actions in the porous border region of Balochistan -- shared between the two countries -- has further stoked regional tensions already enflamed by the Israel-Hamas war.
Iran carried out a missile and drone attack on what it called "terrorist" targets in Pakistan on Tuesday night, with Pakistan in turn striking militant targets inside Iran on Thursday.
The United Nations and United States have appealed for restraint, while China has offered to mediate between the two countries.
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Pakistan on early Thursday morning struck the hideouts of outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) in Iran – a move that came in response to the earlier provocative Iranian cross-border missile strike.
The Pakistani forces, however, didn’t target any military installation or civilians during an operation “Marg Bar Sarmachar” and limited their action to the terrorist organisations which are operating in Balochistan while using the Iranian territory.
According to sources, Pakistan used missiles and rockets in pinpoint strikes on terrorists around 40 kilometres inside Iran. Several BLA and BLF leaders are present in the western neighbour along with their families, they added.
Later in the day, the ISPR said the military used drones, rockets and other weapons to target the terrorists – who were involved in terrorism acts in Pakistan – to avoid any collateral damage. It said the dead terrorists included Dosta alias Chairman, Bajjar alias Soghat, Sahil alias Shafaq, Asghar alias Basham, Wazir alias Wazi and others.
According to the ISPR, the armed forces remain in a perpetual state of readiness to ensure safety of Pakistan’s citizens against acts of terrorism.
“Our resolve to ensure that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan is respected and safeguarded against any misadventure, remains unwavering. We reaffirm our determination to defeat all enemies of Pakistan with the support of the people of Pakistan.”