PM Shehbaz convenes NCA meeting that oversees nuclear arsenal

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called a meeting of the National Command Authority (NCA) today, following Pakistan Army’s military operation ‘Bunyan Marsoos’ targeting multiple Indian bases.

The high-level meeting will assess the latest developments amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, state-run PTV News reported.

However defence minister said on Saturday that no meeting of the top military and civil body had been scheduled.

“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,” Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told ARY News.

“Before we get to that point, I think temperatures will come down. No meeting has happened of the National Command Authority, nor is any such meeting scheduled.”

The National Command Authority (NCA) is Pakistan’s apex body responsible for safeguarding the national security of Pakistan through command, control and operational decisions regarding Pakistan’s nuclear weapons programme.

Chaired by the Prime Minister, the NCA includes key federal ministers — Foreign Affairs, Interior, Defence, and Finance — along with the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, the chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, the Director General of the Strategic Plans Division (SPD), and the Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

The NCA maintains and enhances the control and operational effectiveness of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons stockpile and serves as a policy institute regarding weapons of mass destruction in Pakistan.

Read More: Bunyan Marsoos: The meaning behind Pakistan’s military operation

Pakistan launched precision missile strikes against India under Operation Bunyaan al Marsoos, symbolising unity and steadfast national defense.

Bunyan Ul Marsoos is an Arabic verse from the Quran, the holy book of Muslims.

The operation’s name—meaning “a structure firmly joined together”—draws inspiration from Surah Al-Saff (61-4), which praises those who fight in Allah’s cause as a solid, fortified structure.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الَّذِينَ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِهِ صَفًّا كَأَنَّهُم بُنْيَانٌ مَّرْصُوصٌ

Translation: ‘Allah indeed loves those who fight in His Way as though they are a solid wall cemented with molten lead’ (Surah Al-Saff, verse 4)

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir offered Fajr prayers and recited Surah Al-Saff before the operation commenced, invoking divine guidance.

The action reflects Pakistan’s resolve and collective strength in the face of external aggression.

Pakistan early Saturday launched the military operation ‘Bunyan Marsoos’ against India and targeted several strategic installations, Pakistan’s state-run news agency APP reported, citing security sources.

Seven sites in India were targeted, including the key Pathankot air base, Udhampur air base, and Gujarat air base. Rajasthan air base and Brahmos storage site, security sources said.