Pakistan's National Command Authority, which controls nuclear weapons, to meet on Wednesday

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Tuesday said that a special meeting of the National Command Authority (NCA) has been summoned by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday. The meeting is crucial because the NCA oversees the operational command and control of Pakistan's nuclear weapons.

Qureshi told reporters that it was decided in the meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) that Islamabad must respond to any act of aggression by India after the violation of LoC by Indian fighter jets on Tuesday.

He claimed that Pakistan Air Force responded in time and succeeded in repelling Indian fighter jets which entered inside Pakistani territory in the wee hours of Tuesday.

NSC rejected claims that Indian Air Force's Mirage 2000 fighter jets targeted a terrorist camp in Balakot, eliminating at least 300 terrorists.

Qureshi asserted that the world can see the area of the strike to see the facts. He added that domestic and international media will be taken to Balakot to assess the situation on the ground.

Qureshi also told reporters that a three-member committee comprising Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, Finance Minister Asad Umar and himself has been tasked by Pakistan Prime Minister Khan to discuss this matter with the Parliament.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired a high-level meeting on Tuesday in which it was decided that Pakistan must raise voice against the act of aggression by India at the international forum.

The Pakistani Prime Minister also summoned a meeting hours after Indian fighter jets destroyed a JeM terror camp in Balakot. SOurces added that the meeting was attended by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Defence Ministers and Foreign Ministry. It is learned that Pakistan has decided to raise the matter of Indian LoC violation at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), United Nations and with friendly countries.

Earlier, Qureshi chaired an emergency meeting of former secretaries of foreign affairs and senior ambassadors to discuss the matter and said that Pakistan wants peace and stability in the region but India is interested in waging war.