Pakistan U-Turns On Nuke Meet Amid Tensions, Defence Minister Says Nuclear Threat A ‘Very Distant Possibility’

<p>Amid rising tensions with India, reports on Saturday suggested that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had convened a meeting of the National Command Authority (NCA), which oversees the country&rsquo;s nuclear arsenal. However, within hours, Pakistan backtracked, with its top leadership denying that any such meeting had been scheduled.</p>
<p>According to a Reuters report, Pakistan stated it had called a meeting of the top body managing its nuclear weapons following its military operation targeting Indian military sites early on Saturday, including a missile storage facility in northern India.</p>
<p>However, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif dismissed concerns about any immediate nuclear threat, calling it a &ldquo;very distant possibility&rdquo;. Speaking to ARY TV, he said, &ldquo;We shouldn&rsquo;t even discuss it in the immediate context. Before we get to that point, I think temperatures will come down. No meeting has happened of the National Command Authority, nor is any such meeting scheduled.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Interestingly, this retraction came after diplomatic conversations between senior officials. As per reports, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio held telephone calls with Pakistan&rsquo;s Army Chief General Asim Munir and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. Rubio also spoke to India&rsquo;s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.</p>
<p>In a further clarification, Asif told Geo News that the nuclear option was not under consideration. He added, however, that &ldquo;if a situation arises, the watchers would also be affected&rdquo;. Warning of broader consequences, he said, &ldquo;I am telling the world that this is not going to be confined to the region only; it could be a much wider [&hellip;] destruction. Our options are being reduced considering the situation India is creating.&rdquo;</p>
<h3><strong>India-Pakistan Tensions</strong></h3>
<p>Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also reportedly held telephone conversations with key political leaders to brief them on the ongoing standoff with India. Pakistan has often referred to its nuclear capabilities as a strategic deterrent during periods of heightened conflict with India. In his recent address to the National Assembly, Sharif once again made reference to Pakistan&rsquo;s nuclear strength.</p>
<p>Tensions between the two countries have sharply escalated after a series of actions by Pakistan, which the Indian armed forces responded to effectively. In a media briefing on Saturday in New Delhi, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri described Pakistan&rsquo;s conduct as &ldquo;escalatory&rdquo; and &ldquo;provocative&rdquo;, noting that India had responded in a &ldquo;responsible and measured fashion&rdquo;.</p>
<p>Providing evidence of Pakistan&rsquo;s activities, the Indian government accused Islamabad of spreading falsehoods. &ldquo;Pakistan&rsquo;s actions constituted provocation, escalation. In response India defended and reacted in a responsible and measured fashion,&rdquo; said Misri.</p>
<p>In a decisive military response, the Indian Armed Forces carried out precision strikes on Pakistani military targets across several locations including Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, and Chunian. Radar installations at Pasrur and Sialkot aviation bases were also hit using air-launched weapons deployed by Indian fighter aircraft.</p>