NCA under PM reviews nuclear capability amid rising tensions
February 27, 2019
ISLAMABAD: prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday chaired a meeting of the National Command Authority (NCA) in order to review the situation after India's Line of Control (LoC) violation, which led to recent escalation of tension between two nuclear-armed neighbours.
The NCA is the apex civilian-led command headed by the prime minister to oversee the policy formulation, exercises, deployment, research and development, employment and operational command and control of the country’s nuclear arsenals.
The meeting was attended by Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, the Chiefs of all three services and Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor.
Sources said that in response to Indian intrusion, the meeting discussed strategy and measures for retaliation and expressed satisfaction over them.
During the meeting, DG ISPR gave detailed briefing on the security mechanism of the nuclear arsenal and expressed satisfaction over the fool-proof security measures.
It was decided in the meeting that Pakistan is capable of defending itself in every way and will maintain the capability of nuclear deterrence.
Prime Minister Imran Khan had chaired a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) a day earlier which had rejected Indian claims of targeting an alleged terrorist camp near Balakot and said that Pakistan will decide the time and place of response to the aggression.
DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor on Tuesday also warned India that it was time to "wait for our surprise".
"I said three things: You will never be able to surprise us. We have not been surprised. We were ready, we responded, we denied. I said we will retain the escalation ladder. We have that initiative in our hand," he said.
"I said that we will surprise you. Wait for that surprise. I said that our response will be different. See it for yourself. The response will come, and response will come differently," he warned the Indian army.
Indian military aircraft violated the LoC as they "intruded" from the Muzaffarabad sector and were forced to return owing to the timely response of the Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Army spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor said early Tuesday.
"Indian aircraft intrusion across LoC in Muzafarabad Sector within AJK was 3-4 miles. Under forced hasty withdrawal aircraft released payload which had free fall in open area. No infrastructure got hit, no casualties. Technical details and other important information to follow," Major General Ghafoor wrote on Twitter.
He also tweeted images of the "payload of hastily escaping Indian aircraft" which "fell in [the] open".
The incursion into the Pakistani air space follows a series of threats by Indian political and military leadership following the attack on an Indian Army convoy at Pulwama by a local youth, in reaction to the oppression unleashed by the occupational forces.
