Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday (May 10) dismissed a claim made by the Pakistan Army regarding a high-level meeting of the National Command Authority (NCA), contradicting a report earlier published by Reuters. The NCA is the most powerful civil-military body in Pakistan responsible for overseeing the country’s nuclear weapons and strategic decisions.
Earlier that day, Reuters quoted a statement from the Pakistan Army which claimed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had called for a meeting of the NCA. However, Asif firmly denied this while speaking to ARY News, stating, “No meeting has happened of the National Command Authority, nor is any such meeting scheduled.”
Asif Downplays Nuclear War Speculation
During the interview, Asif also tried to ease concerns about a nuclear confrontation between India and Pakistan. He acknowledged the existence of nuclear capability but urged people not to discuss it in the current scenario.
“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,” he said.
“Before we get to that point, I think temperatures will come down,” he added, suggesting he hoped tensions would de-escalate before things reached a critical point.
Cross-Border Attacks Continue
Tensions between India and Pakistan have been rising since May 7. Earlier on Saturday, Pakistan intensified the conflict by attacking India using drones, missiles, and fighter aircraft. Reports indicated that Pakistan had launched at least one ballistic missile aimed at Delhi, but Indian defence systems intercepted it over Sirsa in Haryana.
India responded swiftly with retaliatory strikes, targeting at least three Pakistani airbases. The Indian Air Force struck the Nur Khan airbase located at Chaklala in Rawalpindi, the Murid airbase in Punjab’s Chakwal district, and the Shorkot airbase in Jhang district of Punjab province.
Khawaja Asif’s Controversial Remarks in the Spotlight
Since the latest wave of hostilities began, Khawaja Asif has come under global scrutiny for several of his remarks. Earlier in May, he drew criticism from within Pakistan after admitting on camera that the country had engaged in “dirty work” by funding and supporting terrorism in South Asia for decades.
This admission triggered widespread backlash on social media and further damaged Pakistan’s image internationally, with many questioning his choice of words during a time of heightened tensions.
