KEY POINTS
- Pakistan Army condemns India’s provocative rhetoric, saying it reflects a pattern of “whipping up war hysteria for political gains”.
- Military leadership reaffirmed that Pakistan’s armed forces are fully prepared to counter any misadventure.
- Pakistan Army warns that any “imaginary new normal” sought by India will be met with a “new normal of swift retributive response.”
- The military leadership welcomes Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
- The agreement underlines shared values and collective vision for peace in Middle East and South Asia.
RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Army warned on Wednesday it would respond swiftly and decisively to any Indian aggression and criticised recent statements by Indian civilian and military leadership as “irresponsible and unwarranted”, saying such rhetoric risked stoking war hysteria and endangering regional peace.
Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir presided over the Corps Commanders’ Conference (CCC) held at General Headquarters (GHQ), the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated in a press release.
The military top brass expressed grave concerns about the recent irresponsible and unwarranted provocative statements by Indian civil and military leadership. “Such rhetoric conforms to the well-known Indian propensity of whipping up war hysteria for political benefits,” participants stated as quoted by ISPR.
The military leadership agreed that “unwarranted warmongering is likely to lead to heightened tensions and will endanger regional peace and security”.
“The Forum pledged to counter any Indian aggression with a swift and decisive response, shattering any perceived notion of India’s relative safety accruing from geography,” the military top brass warned, adding that “any imaginary new normal will be met with a new normal of swift retributive response”.
The Pakistan Army’s warning comes in the wake of provocative rhetoric from top Indian civil and military leaders. Indian media last week quoted Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi as saying that India “will erase” Pakistan from the map, vowing that Indian forces would “not show any restraint this time” — a remark widely interpreted as a veiled threat of another military incursion following the May conflict, during which Pakistan downed six Indian fighter jets, including Rafales.
On October 4, the Pakistan military issued a strong response to the remarks and warned that any future conflict with India could lead to “cataclysmic devastation” and the country would “resolutely respond, without any qualms or restraint”. It had said that “those seeking to establish a new normal must know that Pakistan has established a new normal of response, which will be swift, decisive and destructive”.
Similarly, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in a speech delivered last month and shared on his X account, declared that “our soldiers have both weapons and high morale,” asserting that “no challenge can stand before us” and that India has “the capability to deal with and defeat them all.”
In its statement today, the Pakistan Army warned that any Indian aggression will be met with a swift and decisive response.
Counterterrorism operations
During the Corps Commanders’ Conference, the military leadership reaffirmed that the Armed Forces remain ready to thwart the inimical designs of Pakistan’s adversaries across all domains. “The existing nexus between terror and crime with vested political patronage, which is gravely hurting the interests of the State and security of its people, will not be allowed to continue anymore, come what may.”
The military top brass resolved to pursue comprehensive counterterrorism operations across all domains to continue to dismantle the networks of “Indian-sponsored terror proxies like Fitna Al-Khawarij and Fitna Al-Hindustan”.
Pakistan-Saudi Arabia defence pact
The military leadership acknowledged the significance of Pakistan’s recent high-level diplomatic engagements and reaffirmed its commitment to global and regional peace.
The Forum welcomed the landmark Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement between Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, aimed at strengthening strategic relations and enhancing multi-domain cooperation for a joint response to any external aggression.
“This agreement underscores shared values, mutual respect, and a joint vision for peace and security in the Middle Eastern and South Asian regions,” the military leadership stated as quoted by ISPR.
Kashmir and Palestine
The military top brass reiterated Pakistan’s uncompromising support for the legitimate struggle of the Kashmiri people for their right to self-determination, as enshrined in relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
The Forum also reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and hoped for an early ceasefire and delivery of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.
The military leadership reiterated Pakistan’s principled stance on the Palestine issue, voicing support for the two-state solution with an independent Palestinian state, based on pre-1967 borders and Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital.
‘Foreign-sponsored terror proxies’
The Forum offered Fateha for the martyrs of recent terrorist attacks orchestrated by Indian terror proxies.
The Army Chief commended the spirit, resolve, and determination of the Pakistan Armed Forces in the war against “foreign-sponsored terror proxies” and during extensive relief and rescue operations in the aftermath of recent floods, in conjunction with civil administration and other law enforcement agencies.
The military leadership undertook a comprehensive review of ongoing counter-terrorism operations, the emerging threat paradigm, and operational readiness.
In his closing remarks, Army Chief Field Marshal Munir directed the Commanders to ensure the highest standards of operational readiness, discipline, physical fitness, innovation, and responsiveness.
Field Marshal Munir expressed full confidence in the operational preparedness of the Pakistan Army to counter threats across the entire spectrum, from conventional and sub-conventional, to hybrid and asymmetric threats.
