ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Army on Saturday issued a blistering rebuke of recent statements from senior Indian security officials, warning that any fresh round of hostilities would be met with a “swift, decisive and destructive” response that would establish what it called a “new normal of response.”
In an official communiqué released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military described the remarks from “the highest levels of the Indian security establishment” as “delusional, provocative and jingoistic,” accusing New Delhi of “fabricating arbitrary pretexts for aggression” and stoking regional instability. The statement warned that earlier confrontations this year had already brought two nuclear-armed neighbours “to the brink,” and said Pakistan would “resolutely respond, without any qualms or restraint” if provoked again.
The ISPR statement came after a series of stern comments from Indian leaders — including warnings by the defence minister and army chief that appeared to threaten punitive action if Pakistan were deemed responsible for cross-border attacks. Indian officials have in recent days used language suggesting India would not show restraint in future operations, heightening tensions along the line of control and other disputed sectors.
Analysts say Saturday’s ISPR release is part of an escalating cycle of rhetoric that risks miscalculation. Islamabad framed the Indian remarks as an attempt to “play the victim card” while pointing to what it called India’s role in fomenting violence across the region. The military warned that any talk of “erasing Pakistan” would meet with “mutual” consequences and said Pakistani forces were prepared to strike deep into Indian territory should conflict break out.
International concern has grown since clashes earlier this year — which involved missile and drone strikes and led to civilian casualties on both sides — briefly bringing the two neighbours close to open conflict. Major international outlets and think-tanks have warned that repeated exchanges of highly charged threats increase the risk of accidental escalation between two nuclear-armed states.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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