The Pakistani military’s chief spokesperson has cautioned that any serious escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours could have catastrophic consequences.
“The world now recognises the extent of the nuclear threat [in the region]. Any sane player, like the USA, understands this absurdity and what the Indians are trying to do here,” DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told Sky News in an interview on Thursday.
“If India thinks that it can carve out a space for war between India and Pakistan, it is actually a recipe for carving out mutual destruction,” he added.
Lt Gen Chaudhry warned New Delhi of a “swift and assured response” if it again violated the ceasefire. Any serious escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbours would lead to mutual destruction, he stated.
The warning came as an uneasy truce holds between the two rivals amid relentless verbal dueling over the military hostilities triggered by a deadly rampage in the Pahalgam area of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) that killed 26 tourists. India blamed Pakistan for the assault – an allegation strongly denied by Islamabad.
The dispute over the Himalayan region has bedeviled relationship between the two nations since their inception in 1947. However, India’s unilateral decision in August 2019 to strip the disputed region of its autonomy had effectively ended whatever little normalcy existed in their bilateral relationship.
Lt Gen Chaudhry accused India of attempting to “internalise” the Kashmir issue and “harassing” the region’s predominantly Muslim population. “This (Kashmir) is a problem that must be resolved by the people of Kashmir in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions,” he added.
The military spokesperson also warned that any violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty would meet a harsh military response. “Anyone who tries to violate our territorial integrity and sovereignty — our response will be brutal,” he asserted.
Read more: Ceasefire request came from India, says DG ISPR
US President Donald Trump mediated a ceasefire between India and Pakistan on May 10 after days of military confrontation between the two brought the region to the brink of an all-out war.
Indian leaders have stepped up bellicose rhetoric since the end of hostilities, claiming that New Delhi’s robust military action forced Pakistan to “beg President Trump” for a ceasefire – a claim vehemently denied by Islamabad.
On Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar reiterated that Pakistan did not request a ceasefire with India. “It [ceasefire effort] was initiated following a call from the US secretary of state, who conveyed that India was willing to halt hostilities,” Dar, who is also the country’s foreign minister, told the upper house of Parliament.
He said the truce took effect after Pakistan confirmed its readiness to stop military actions, with subsequent calls from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and China reinforcing diplomatic efforts.
Dar went on to add that Pakistan had exercised restraint and communicated this to all friendly nations even before the outbreak of hostilities.
“We told our friends we would not initiate an attack, but we would certainly respond if provoked,” he said while reiterating that Pakistan’s response to India’s military provocation was “measured, decisive, and in line with international norms.”
