ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday condemned “unjustified and illegitimate” aggression by Israel against the Islamic Republic of Iran.The Foreign Office said Israeli military strikes violated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iran and clearly contravened the UN Charter and fundamental principles of international law.
“Iran has the right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter,” said the FO, in a statement.
Israel launched widescale strikes against Iran on Friday, saying it targeted nuclear facilities, ballistic mis-sile factories and military commanders and that this was start of a prolonged operation to prevent Teh-ran from building an atomic weapon.
Iranian media and witnesses reported explosions including at the country’s main uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, while Israel declared a state of emergency in anticipation of retaliatory missile and drone strikes.
Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards corps said its top commander, Hossein Salami, was killed and state media reported the unit’s headquarters in Tehran had been hit. Several children had been killed in a strike on a residential area in the capital, it said.
Reacting to the attack, Pakistan said it stood in resolute solidarity with the people of Iran and unequiv-ocally denounced the blatant provocations, which constituted a grave danger and a serious threat to the peace, security, and stability of the entire region and beyond, with serious implications.
“The international community and the United Nations bear responsibility to uphold international law, stop this aggression immediately and hold the aggressor accountable for its actions,” it added.
Conveying his “deepest” sympathies to the Iranian people on the loss of lives, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the unprovoked attack on Iran by Israel. –Agencies
