Pakistan PM convenes nuclear oversight body meeting

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has dismissed reports of an imminent meeting of the National Command Authority—the body controlling the country’s nuclear arsenal—despite earlier military statements suggesting the prime minister had called for such a gathering following Saturday’s pre-dawn Indian strikes.

“No meeting has happened of the National Command Authority, nor is any such meeting scheduled,” Asif told ARY television, contradicting previous military communications.

Amid rising tensions, Pakistan’s foreign minister offered a potential path to de-escalation, stating on local television that “if India stops here, we will consider to stop here.”

The diplomatic statements came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held urgent conversations with both Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir and India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, pressing for immediate de-escalation and restoration of direct communication channels.

Early Saturday, alarm spread through Pakistan following reports that the Nur Khan air base in Rawalpindi—located approximately 10 kilometres from Islamabad and housing military headquarters—had been struck. Military spokesman Chaudhry later confirmed in a televised address that Indian missiles had targeted three installations: Nur Khan, PAF Base Murid in Punjab’s Chakwal District, and a facility in Shorkot, ominously adding: “Now you just wait for our response.”

The crisis deepened after Pakistan’s military announced at 1:50 a.m. local time that India had launched six ballistic missiles from Adampur, claiming one struck its launch site while five others landed in India’s Punjab region near Amritsar.

A text message from Amritsar’s district commissioner instructed residents: “Don’t panic. Siren is sounding as we are under red alert. Do not panic, as before, keep lights off, move away from windows. We will inform you when ready to resume power supply.”

The escalating conflict has reportedly claimed around 48 lives since Wednesday, according to unverified casualty figures provided by both nations.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​