Owaisi praises Centre, says India has right to attack in self-defence

India has a right to attack in self-defence in accordance with the Charter of the United Nation Article 51, said AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi while praising the Government of India and Indian Air Force for attacking Jaish-e-Mohammed's terror camps in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province on Tuesday morning.

"I was expecting this sought of action after the Pulwama attack. It is a right step taken by the government. We stand with the government. Art 51 in the charter gives us the right of self-defence. If a country unable to stop non-state actors then another country which is a victim of the terror or violence has a right to act in self-defence, Asaduddin Owaisi said to media persons in Hyderabad.

"Though foreign secretary has called it a non-military action this is a step which we were expected from the government long time back. Masood Azhar and Lashkar-e..whatever that name is..I won't call it Taiba because it is Lashkar-e-shayateen. The government should go after these two evil persons," he added.

On being asked if the Opposition or Pakistan would ask for the video of the attack as it was asked during the surgical strike, Owaisi stated: "I never questioned surgical strikes. I always stood by the government for conducting surgical strikes."

"If Pakistan wants to take some stupid action then our defence forces are on high alert," said Owaisi while warning Pakistan.

"India on Tuesday carried out air strikes at a massive Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) camp in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, eliminating a "large number" of terrorists, including top commanders," Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said here in a press conference.

Following the attack by IAF Mirage-2000 on the terror camps in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Security to take stock of the situation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Security to take stock of the situation. He also briefed President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu about the Indian Air Force strike at Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camps in Balakot across LoC.

The meeting was attended by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

The JeM control room was completely destroyed in the air strike, sources said.

It is worth mentioning that JeM carried out a ghastly terror attack on CRPF convoy in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir on February 14 in which 40 security personnel were killed and five injured.

Pulwama terror attack had led to nationwide outrage and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had vowed to punish those behind the attack.

Entire world community had expressed solidarity with India after the attack.

The US has said it supports India's "Right to self-defence" in the back of the attack.