Pakistan PM, president pledge 'befitting response' to any act of aggression amid rising tensions with India after Pahalgam attack

NEW DELHI: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari have pledged a "befitting response" to any act of aggression amid rising tensions with India in the aftermath of Pahalgam attack that killed 26.

In a meeting held on Thursday, first time since the attack, the leaders said, "Pakistani nation is united and stands behind its armed forces, who are capable of responding to any threat or aggression."

Sharif also spoke to Qatar’s Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Radio Pakistan reported, during which he reiterated Pakistan’s offer to cooperate in a “transparent” investigation into the terror attack.

This came after Union home minister Amit Shah vowed to take strong action against the perpetrators of the attack. "Whoever has carried out the dastardly attack in Pahalgam, we will not spare anyone. We will hunt down each and every perpetrator," he said.

Additionally, PM Narendra Modi has said that the armed forces have "full operational freedom" to determine the method, targets, and timing of India’s response to the terror attack, government sources said.

A day after the attack, India unveiled a series of punitive measures against Pakistan, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, closing the sole operational land border at Attari, and downgrading diplomatic ties over alleged cross-border links to the massacre. On Wednesday, India escalated its response further by shutting its airspace to Pakistani airlines.