Any aggression to meet same response as shown in May’s clash with India: COAS
ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on Sunday said Pakistan would respond to any future act of aggression with the same resolve it demonstrated during the brief but intense clashes with rival India in May.
Speaking to reporters at the President House during a luncheon hosted in honour of the visiting Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Gen Munir said Pakistan “will respond to those who impose war on it in the same way as it did in May”, referring to the exchange of strikes with India earlier this year that drew international diplomatic engagement.
In a clear reference to the May confrontation with India, the army chief said Pakistan had “raised its head high” during the episode, attributing the outcome to what he described as divine assistance. “When a Muslim puts his trust in Allah, He turns the dirt thrown at the enemy into missiles,” he remarked. He added that the Pakistan Army was “an army of Allah” and its soldiers “fight in His name”.
Pakistan Army vows swift response to India’s any ‘imaginary new normal’
Tensions between the two South Asian neighbours escalated sharply in early May following an attack in the Pahalgam area of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which triggered a series of cross-border strikes.
India launched what it called Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting locations inside Pakistan and causing civilian casualties. New Delhi accused Pakistan of involvement in the Kashmir incident but did not publicly present evidence.
Pakistan retaliated with Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, leading to heavy exchanges of artillery and drone fire until a US-led diplomatic effort helped broker a ceasefire.
Addressing a passing-out parade at the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul last month, Gen Munir had cautioned that “there is no space for war in a nuclearised environment”, urging regional leadership to resolve outstanding issues in line with international norms. He warned that Pakistan would not be “intimidated or coerced” and would respond “decisively” to any provocation.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025