RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s military on Saturday warned India that any future conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours could result in “cataclysmic devastation”, vowing a firm and overwhelming response to any aggression.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a strongly worded statement, cautioned that in the face of “highly provocative statements” by India’s defense minister and its service chiefs, Pakistan would “not hold back” and respond decisively if hostilities erupted again.
“In case a fresh round of hostilities is triggered, Pakistan shall not hold back. We shall resolutely respond, without any qualms or restraint,” the ISPR said.
The statement comes a day after Indian Air Force Chief Amar Preet Singh claimed that India had downed five Pakistani fighter jets during the May clashes an account that Pakistan rejects as “fabricated”.
The worst fighting in decades between the two rivals broke out in May following an attack on Hindu tourists in occupied Kashmir an incident New Delhi, without providing evidence, blamed on Pakistan. Islamabad denied any involvement.
During the four-day conflict, both sides deployed fighter jets, drones, missiles, and heavy artillery, leaving dozens of dead. Pakistan claimed to have shot down six Indian fighter jets, including the Rafale, while India admitted to “some losses” but denied the figure.
The ISPR said Pakistan had established a “new normal of response” that would be “swift, decisive and destructive”. It further warned that Pakistan’s armed forces had the capability to strike deep inside Indian territory, breaking the myth of geographic immunity.
“This time we shall shatter the myth of geographic immunity, hitting the farthest reaches of Indian territory. As for the talk of erasing Pakistan from the map, India must know that if such a situation arises, the erasure will be mutual,” the statement said.
The military said it noted with “grave concern” the “delusional, provocative and jingoistic statements” by Indian leaders, warning that they could create arbitrary pretexts for aggression and trigger “serious consequences for peace and stability” in South Asia.
The ISPR accused India of attempting to play the victim card for decades, while allegedly fueling terrorism and instability in South Asia. It asserted that the global narrative had shifted, and India was increasingly being recognized as the “true face of cross-border terrorism”.
Earlier this year, Indian aggression brought two nuclear powers to the brink of war. India seems to have forgotten the wreckage of its fighter jets and the wrath of Pakistan’s long-range vectors. Suffering from collective amnesia, India appears to be aching for the next confrontation, the ISPR warned.
The statement underscored Pakistan’s resolve to defend itself and maintain regional peace, while warning that reckless rhetoric from New Delhi risked plunging the region into another dangerous conflict.