Amid rising India-Pakistan tensions, the Pakistani media reported that Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif had called for the meeting of the National Command Authority, the body responsible for taking decisions on Pakistan’s nuclear weapons. However, Pakistan's defence minister, Khawaja Asif, stressed that no meeting of the National Command Authority has been called.
The backtrack comes after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a telephonic discussion with Pakistan Army Chief Asim Muneer and the Pakistan Deputy PM and FM Ishaq Dar. Rubio also spoke to India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
Asif is also reported to be telling Pakistan's Geo News that the nuclear option is not on the table, but if a situation arises, the “watchers” would also be affected.
"I am telling the world that this is not going to be confined to the region only; it could be a much wider destruction. Our options are being reduced considering the situation India is creating," news agency ANI quotes Asif as saying.
Notably, the leaders in Pakistan have often publicly held the nuclear option as some kind of leverage in a crisis situation with India. Pakistan PM Sharif recently made a reference to Pakistan's nuclear capabilities in his recent address to the National Assembly.
India on Saturday said it has effectively blunted Pakistan's provocative action of employing multiple threats along the western border using drones, long-range weapons, and fighter jets, targeting civilian areas and military infrastructure, as the conflict between the two neighbours widened further.
Pakistan has been observed to be moving its troops into forward areas, indicating an "offensive intent" to further escalate the situation, the Indian military said, adding that it remains in a high state of operational readiness.
As fears of a larger military conflict loom, military spokeswoman Colonel Sofiya Qureshi said the Indian armed forces reiterate their commitment to non-escalation, provided it is reciprocated by the Pakistani military.