The Pakistan military warned on Saturday that any future conflict with India could lead to “cataclysmic devastation” and the country will “resolutely respond, without any qualms or restraint”.
The statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) comes in the wake of provocative remarks by top Indian civil-military leadership and stressed that Pakistan would “not hold back” in such a case.
“In the face of highly provocative statements of the Indian defence minister and its army and air chiefs, we caution that a future conflict might lead to cataclysmic devastation. In case a fresh round of hostilities is triggered, Pakistan shall not hold back. We shall resolutely respond, without any qualms or restraint.”
Indian media outlet NDTV reported a day ago that Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi warned Pakistan that it must stop state-sponsored terrorism if it wanted to retain its place on the map. According to the report, Gen Dwivedi said Indian forces would “not show any restraint this time”, potentially hinting at another military incursion.
The same day, Indian Air Force Chief Amar Preet Singh also claimed, without evidence, that his country “downed five Pakistani fighter jets of the F-16 and JF-17 class” during the intense fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours in May.
Meanwhile, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh delivered a speech earlier this week, with clips posted on his X account, in which he said: “Our soldiers have both weapons and high morale. No challenge can stand before us. Whether it is terrorism or any other kind of problem, we have the capability to deal with and defeat them all.”
In its statement today, the ISPR said that this time, “we shall shatter the myth of geographic immunity, hitting the farthest reaches of the Indian territory.
“As for the talk of erasing Pakistan from the map, India must know that if the situation comes, the erasure will be mutual.”
It added 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”.
The military’s media wing warned that the nation and military had the “capability and resolve to take the fight to every nook and corner of the enemy’s territory” in the face of unwarranted threats and reckless aggression.
The ISPR further said the military had noted with “grave concern” the “delusional, provocative and jingoistic statements coming from the highest levels of the Indian security establishment”.
It added that such “irresponsible statements” indicated a “renewed attempt at fabricating arbitrary pretexts for aggression”, warning that any such prospect might lead to “serious consequences for peace and stability” in South Asia.
“For decades, India has benefitted from playing the victim card and painting Pakistan in negative light, while stoking violence and perpetrating terrorism in South Asia and beyond.”
The military’s media wing added that India’s narrative has been sufficiently debunked and “now the world recognises India as the true face of cross-border terrorism and the epicentre of regional instability”.
“Earlier this year, the Indian aggression against Pakistan brought two nuclear powers to the brink of a major war. However, 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 now seems to be aching for the next round of confrontation.”
The May conflict, the worst between the old foes in decades, was sparked by an attack on Hindu tourists in occupied Kashmir, which New Delhi, without evidence, said was backed by Pakistan. Pakistan has denied involvement, with the foreign ministry having questioned the credibility of India’s account of the events, saying it was “replete with fabrications”.
Both sides used fighter jets, missiles, artillery and drones during the four-day conflict, killing dozens of people, before agreeing to a ceasefire. In the immediate aftermath of the conflict, Pakistan said it took down six Indian fighter jets during the conflict, including the French-made Rafale. New Delhi acknowledged “some losses” during the conflict but denied losing six jets.
In August, Pakistan added a new arm to its military, the Army Rocket Force Command, that was tasked with building a long-range conventional strike capability to give the army a sharper edge over arch-rival India.
The timing of the announcement was significant as it came almost three months after the four-day conflict. It was the Pakistan Air Force’s early successes that tipped the balance in Pakistan’s favour, but operational lessons learned during the conflict necessitated the formation of the new fighting arm within the army.
The new command is responsible for operating conventional missiles — including ballistic, cruise, and possibly even hypersonic — designed to hit targets far beyond the front lines. The idea is to strike deep, hard, and without reaching for the nuclear trigger.
