Tensions between India and Pakistan deepened as Islamabad warned of a “swift response,” reaffirmed support for Kashmir, and its defence minister linked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “provocations” to Bihar polls.
The Pakistan Army on Wednesday warned that any attack from India would be met with a “swift and decisive response.”
The statement followed the 272nd Corps Commanders’ Conference held in Rawalpindi under the chairmanship of Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.
“The meeting pledged to counter any Indian aggression with a swift and decisive response, shattering any perceived notion of India’s relative safety accruing from geography. Any imaginary new normal will be met with a new normal of swift retributive response,” the army’s statement said.
The conference also reiterated Pakistan’s “uncompromising support” for the Kashmiri people.
The conference, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), discussed the emerging threat environment and reviewed Pakistan’s operational readiness and counterterrorism efforts.
The statement comes after Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi warned Pakistan on October 3 to end state-sponsored terrorism if it wished to “exist on the world map.”
Indian Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh had also claimed that at least a dozen Pakistani military aircraft, including US-origin F-16s, were destroyed or damaged during India’s Operation Sindoor.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh, speaking at an event in Hyderabad on October 4, said India would not hesitate to cross any border to protect its citizens and national integrity.
The Pakistan Army said “unwarranted warmongering” could heighten tensions and threaten regional stability, adding that the armed forces remain fully prepared to respond to any threat across conventional, sub-conventional, hybrid, and asymmetric domains.
Munir directed commanders to maintain the highest levels of operational readiness, discipline, and innovation.
The army also vowed to intensify counterterrorism operations, citing “the existing nexus between terror and crime with vested political patronage,” which it said was damaging national security and would “not be allowed to continue anymore.”
The conference welcomed a new defence agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, calling it a milestone reflecting “shared values, mutual respect, and a joint vision for peace and security” in the Middle East and South Asia.
On Tuesday Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Asif claimed that India “was never truly united except under Aurangzeb,” calling Pakistan’s creation “divine will.”
He said Pakistan may face another war with India but expressed confidence in achieving “a better result than before.”
“Chances of war with India are real and I am not denying that. I do not want escalation, but the risks are real,” Asif said to Samaa TV.
He further claimed that neutral countries had now aligned with Pakistan while India’s supporters “are silent.”
Asif also alleged that the Bihar elections were driving Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s actions.
“With the limited knowledge I have, the Bihar elections could be a reason for these provocations,” he said, suggesting that Modi’s popularity had declined since Pakistan launched “Operation Bunyan Al Marsoos.”
The minister reiterated unsubstantiated claims that Pakistan downed six Indian fighter jets during Operation Sindoor, calling India’s leadership’s statements “a failed attempt to restore their tarnished reputation.”
He posted on X that any future conflict would end with “a far better score than before.”
Tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours have escalated since India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
The Indian military struck targets in Pakistan-controlled territory for four consecutive days, ending the operation on May 10 after both sides agreed to halt hostilities.
India has maintained that Pakistan requested the cessation of strikes following severe damage to its military infrastructure.
