Abbottabad: Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir resorted to nuclear sabre-rattling yet again on Saturday, warning of a “decisive response” to any provocation. This came even as Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh noted how “every inch of Pakistan’s territory” now lies within the range of BrahMos missiles.
“I advise and firmly caution India’s military leadership that there is no space for war in a nuclearised environment,” Munir said at the passing-out parade of cadets at the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul, Abbottabad,
Incidentally, US Navy Seals captured Al Queda chief Osama Bin Laden from close to this academy in 2011.
“We will never be intimidated, not coerced by rhetoric and will respond decisively to even a minor provocation without any qualms,” he added, saying how Pakistan’s armed forces had demonstrated “remarkable professionalism” and “far-reaching capabilities” during the recent conflict by “neutralising” threats from a “numerically superior adversary.”
Reiterating Pakistan’s “moral and diplomatic support” for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, he called for resolution of “core issues as per international norms.”
Munir also accused India of “using terrorism as a weapon to destabilise Pakistan,” warning that “all proxies using Afghan soil would be razed to dust.” This was in reference to the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
He called Pakistan a “peace-loving country,” and said how it enjoyed strong ties with “major powers, including the US and China.”
This came on a day Pakistan broke its truce with Afghanistan and carried out air strikes on civilian targets, killing three young cricketers.
Munir congratulated graduating cadets, including those from friendly nations such as Malaysia, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, calling the Pakistan Military Academy “a cornerstone of military excellence and international camaraderie.”
The Pakistani general’s statements came after India warned that it would not show restraint as it did during Operation Sindoor in case of another conflict with that country.
India’s strikes on Pakistani air bases and air defence systems on May 10 brought the country to its knees. Within hours, the Pakistani DGMO was on the phone with his Indian counterpart, seeking a ceasefire.