Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif calls National Command Authority meeting, body that oversees nuclear arsenal

NEW DELHI: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday called a meeting of National Command Authority after India targeted at least four Pakistan air bases in response to Pakistan’s recent cross-border drone and missile attacks that targeted multiple Indian military and civilian locations.National Command Authority is Pakistan’s highest security decision-making body, comprising senior civilian and military leaders. It oversees key national security matters, including the country’s nuclear weapons policy and strategic planning.However, Pakistan's defence minister Khawaja Asif, later said that no such meeting was held."This thing that you have spoken about (nuclear option) is present, but let's not talk about it - we should treat it as a very distant possibility, we shouldn't even discuss it in the immediate context," Asif told ARY TV."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," he added.This comes after India destroyed key Pakistani posts and terrorist launch pads near Jammu, which were being used to launch tube-launched drones, news agency ANI reported citing sources.Earlier in the morning, multiple explosions were reported across several locations in Pakistan, indicating possible Indian punitive action in response to recent cross-border escalations.According to Pakistani claims, three of its air bases were targeted: Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi, Murid Air Base in Chakwal, and Rafiqui Air Base in Jhang district of eastern Punjab province.The Indian retaliatory strikes come after a series of provocations from Pakistan, including a major drone offensive on strike, when 26 locations—from Jammu and Kashmir to Gujarat—were targeted using armed drones. Defence sources confirmed that Indian forces successfully thwarted these attacks, which were aimed at key infrastructure such as airports and air bases, for a second consecutive night.On Thursday night, Indian defence systems also intercepted and neutralized drones and missiles launched in an attempt to strike military installations in 15 northern and western Indian cities.The latest actions are part of a broader Indian military response under Operation Sindoor, which began on Wednesday.As part of that operation, Indian armed forces carried out precise missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan. The operation was launched in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 innocent civilians.