Pakistan, June 24 -- The National Security Committee's statement reaffirming Iran's right to self-defence, issued after the recent US strikes on Iranian nuclear-related sites, is a necessary and correct step. It signals that Pakistan will not endorse the erosion of international law through silence. Ergo, Islamabad appeared to have done its homework well, understanding the strategic risks of allowing unilateral military actions to go unchecked in an already volatile region.

The US strikes, carried out without any United Nations Security Council mandate, raise serious legal and political concerns. Washington has cited collective self-defence on behalf of Israel but has provided no evidence of any imminent threat emanating from Iran. The t...