Defence Minister Issues Stern Warning to India, Cites Afghan Tensions

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and the Pakistan Army have issued stern warnings to New Delhi following provocative remarks by Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi. The military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), condemned the general’s statement—that Pakistan must choose between being part of geography or history—as a reflection of a “hubristic, jingoistic and myopic mindset” that has repeatedly pushed South Asia towards conflict.

In a television interview, Asif responded directly to the Indian general, stating that Pakistan would “change its geography and make it a part of history” if India attempted another military misadventure. Referencing a recent military standoff, which he termed ‘Marka-i-Haq,’ the defence minister asserted that Pakistan’s armed forces delivered a “devastating” response and that India is “still reeling” from the encounter. He claimed the Indian army chief’s threats were an attempt to “regain his lost respect.”

Echoing this strong stance, the ISPR stated that the Indian leadership has not reconciled with “the very idea of Pakistan” even after eight decades. In a detailed statement, the military’s media wing cautioned that “threatening a sovereign nuclear neighbour with elimination from ‘geography’ is not strategic signalling or brinkmanship; it is sheer bankruptcy of cognitive capacities, madness and warmongering.” The ISPR warned that any attempt at “geographic obliteration would certainly be mutual and comprehensive.”

The ISPR further accused India of being a “harbinger of terrorism in the region” and a “state sponsor of terrorism,” suggesting Delhi’s aggressive posturing stems from frustration over its inability to harm Pakistan. It advised the Indian leadership to learn to peacefully co-exist and warned that any hostile action could trigger consequences that would “neither be geographically confined nor strategically or politically palatable for India.”

Separately, Defence Minister Asif accused Afghanistan of acting as a “proxy for India,” noting the Afghan government’s unwillingness to provide written assurances that its territory will not be used for anti-Pakistan activities. Commenting on broader regional tensions, the minister dismissed the likelihood of a US-Israel attack on Iran, citing a lack of American public support and opposition from key powers like China, Russia, and Saudi Arabia.