Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Sunday warned that any fresh Indian aggression would be met with a stronger response, saying New Delhi’s military and political leaders were trying to restore credibility after suffering setbacks during a brief but intense war with Pakistan in May 2025.
Minister Asif’s remarks followed delusional, provocative and jingoistic threats made by India’s army chief General Upendra Dwivedi. Speaking near the Pakistan border on Friday, Dwivedi stated that Islamabad must stop “backing terror” if it wanted to “remain on the world map.” The General also warned that India would not show the restraint it exercised during a brief war with Pakistan in May this year.
A Failed Attempt to Restore Lost Credibility
Defense Minister Asif, writing on X (formerly Twitter), dismissed the Indian statements. He stated that the comments by Indian military and political leaders are a “failed attempt to restore their lost credibility.”
Referring to the disputed aircraft losses in May, the Minister asserted: “After such a decisive defeat with a score of 0–6, if they try again, the score god willing will be much better than before. … This time India will be buried under the wreckage of its own planes.” Pakistan has previously stated it shot down six Indian fighter jets during the May conflict, including the French-made Rafale, a claim India has acknowledged some losses but denied the total number. India’s air chief last week claimed India had downed five Pakistani fighter jets of the F-16 and JF-17 class.
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Military Warns of ‘Cataclysmic Devastation’
Pakistan’s military also responded directly to the Indian army chief’s threats through the ISPR, calling them “delusional, provocative and jingoistic” and warning that a renewed conflict “might lead to cataclysmic devastation.” The ISPR stressed that Pakistan “shall not hold back” if hostilities resume, emphasizing that the nation has “established a new normal of response, which will be swift, decisive and destructive.”
The military further warned that any attempt to erase Pakistan from the map “will be mutual.”
Background of May 2025 Hostilities
The May 2025 hostilities, which saw Pakistan and India exchange missile, drone and artillery strikes for four days, constituted the most serious confrontation between the nuclear-armed neighbors in years before an uneasy ceasefire was restored through US mediation.
The conflict was sparked by an attack on Hindu tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir in April. Although New Delhi claimed the attack—which killed 26 men—was backed by Pakistan, Islamabad vehemently denied involvement.
Ties between the countries, which have fought two of their three wars over the Himalayan region of Kashmir, have been downgraded since the attack, trading accusations of cross-border militancy and military provocation. Both nations remain at a virtual diplomatic standstill since the 2025 clashes.
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