Sharif says Pak ready to defend its territory

Islamabad: Shortly after the Indian Army today announced that it had carried out surgical strikes across the LoC against the terrorists' launch pads last night, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said his country was ready to defend its territorial integrity. "Our intent for peaceful neighbourhood should not be mistaken as our weakness as our valiant forces are fully capable of defending the territorial of our country,'' Radio Pakistan quoted Mr Sharif as saying. Pakistan has, however, officially denied that any surgical operation with India had taken place, saying that it was only ceasefire violation by India, which was being branded as surgical strike.

Mr Sharif said his country can "thwart any evil design made to undermine the sovereignty of Pakistan". A statement of the Inter Services Public Relations said, "The notion of surgical strike linked to alleged terrorist bases is an illusion being deliberately generated by India to create false effects. This quest by Indian establishment to create media hype by rebranding cross border fire as surgical strike is a fabrication of the  truth. Indian Army conducted multiple terror strikes against the terrorists' launch pads across LoC last night, inflicting heavy losses on them.

Director General of Military Operations, Gen Ranveer Singh told a news conference in New Delhi that he had informed his Pakistani counterpart about the Army's strikes against the terrorists, underlining to them that they will not be allowed to cause any harm to the Indian citizens. The operation was aimed at only the terrorists and the Army had no intention to continue it, but it was fully prepared for any eventuality, Gen Singh said. The surgical operation came in the wake of the recent Uri attack in Kashmir, in which 18 Indian soldiers were martyred.

No surgical strikes by India: Pakistan High Commission

Pakistan today refuted the claim that India has launched surgical strikes to destroy the terrorist launching pad across the border "There has been no surgical strike by India," the Pakistan high commission said in a statement. "Instead, there had been a cross border fire initiated and conducted by India which is an existential phenomenon. As per rules of engagement, the same was strongly and befittingly responded by Pakistani troops," the Pakistan High commission said. The High Commission said that the Indian claim that terrorist launching pad in #Pakistan was targeted was a lie. (UNI)