In the wake of Indian Air Force (IAF) air strikes on Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camps in Pakistani soil in the early hours of Tuesday morning, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said his country would choose the time and place to respond to what he called "uncalled-for aggression" by India.
Imran Khan has convened an 'emergency meeting' to discuss and review the security situation with high-level officials in his ministry, Radio Pakistan reported. The Pakistani PM completely denied that New Delhi had struck JeM on Pakistani soil.
After India's air strikes in Balakot, Imran Khan also asked the armed forces and the people of Pakistan to remain "prepared for all eventualities." The statement came after an emergency meeting to review the situation.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi described as "Indian aggression" the Indian Air Force's bombing from the Muzaffarabad sector of what New Delhi said the biggest training camp of the JeM.
He claimed the Indian jets were forced to return "owing to the timely response of the Pakistan Air Force".
"We kept on telling the world that this could happen. They (India) carried out aggression against Pakistan today," he said.
"India violated the LoC. Pakistan holds the right to self-defence and a befitting response," Qureshi told media, after chairing an emergency consultative meeting at the Foreign Office to discuss the situation arising from what he dubbed as Indian intrusion.
He said Prime Minister Imran Khan had summoned a meeting to review the situation. The Foreign Office meeting was attended by former foreign secretaries and senior diplomats.
Pakistan Army spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor earlier tweeted: "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 the open area. No infrastructure got hit, no casualties. Technical details and other important information to follow."
He also tweeted images of the "payload of hastily escaping Indian aircraft" which "fell in (the) open".
Tuesday's attack came days after Jaish, the Pakistan-based terrorist group, carried out a suicide bombing in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama, killing 40 CRPF troopers.
