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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday warned India that any aggression would be met with a &ldquo;swift, calibrated, and decisive&rdquo; response, after his Indian counterpart, Rajnath Singh, issued fresh warnings amid rising regional tensions.&nbsp;The exchange underscores renewed friction between the nuclear-armed neighbors months after a brief but intense conflict in May 2025, raising concerns for international observers about escalation risks in South Asia, at a time when the world is already grappling with heightened instability in the Middle East following the ongoing Iran crisis and widening regional tensions.&nbsp;Addressing a Sainik Sammelan in Indian state of Kerala, Singh said India remained alert to the possibility of &ldquo;hostile actions from across the border&rdquo; and cautioned that any such move would be met with a &ldquo;firm and decisive response,&rdquo; according to Indian media reports.&nbsp;Referring to India&rsquo;s &ldquo;Operation Sindoor,&rdquo; Singh claimed Indian forces had brought Pakistan &ldquo;to its knees&rdquo; within 22 minutes and warned that further provocation could trigger &ldquo;unprecedented action.&rdquo;&nbsp;Responding sharply, Asif dismissed the remarks as part of a &ldquo;predictable pattern,&rdquo; accusing New Delhi of &ldquo;externalising internal fragility&rdquo; and attempting to &ldquo;provoke escalation&rdquo; under the guise of &ldquo;unsubstantiated allegations&rdquo; for political purposes.&nbsp;&ldquo;Such threat-mongering from India is not new,&rdquo; Asif said, adding that the rhetoric reflected &ldquo;not strength, but visible strategic anxiety.&rdquo;&nbsp;He warned that &ldquo;miscalculation has consequences,&rdquo; saying recent history remained &ldquo;fresh in our minds,&rdquo; and cautioned that any future confrontation would draw an even more &ldquo;forceful and decisive&rdquo; response.&nbsp;Reiterating Pakistan&rsquo;s official position, Asif said the country remained committed to peace and regional stability but its &ldquo;resolve to defend sovereignty is absolute.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Our preparedness is complete, and our response will be swift, calibrated, and decisive,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;He further cautioned that the notion of conventional conflict between two nuclear-armed states was &ldquo;inconceivable&rdquo; and would carry &ldquo;drastic consequences.&rdquo;&nbsp;The latest war of words follows a four-day conflict in May 2025, triggered by a militant attack on civilians in Indian-occupied Kashmir. New Delhi blamed Islamabad for the attack, a charge Pakistan firmly rejected. The fighting, involving missile, drone and artillery strikes, marked the deadliest cross-border escalation since 2019 and ended only after a US-brokered ceasefire.

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Defense Minister Khawaja Asif says Pakistan will respond swiftly, decisively to India’s warnings, calling its rhetoric a sign of “strategic anxiety” as tensions rise months after the May 2025 conflict.

Pakistan issues tit-for-tat warning after Indian defense minister remarks

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir praised the &ldquo;professionalism, resolve and commitment&rdquo; demonstrated by Pakistan&rsquo;s Armed Forces during Marka-e-Haq, stating that it had &ldquo;enhanced the global stature of Pakistan.&quot;&nbsp; He was addressing participants of the National Security Workshop&ndash;27 at GHQ, Rawalpindi, according to a press release by Inter-Services Public Relations, the military&#39;s media wing. The Pakistan Army defines the period of conflict with India, starting from the April 22 Pahalgam attack to the May 10 conclusion of Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, as Marka-i-Haq in May. The army chief said Pakistan was a &ldquo;country of consequence and is destined to reach its rightful place in the comity of nations,&rdquo; ISPR said.&nbsp; The army chief highlighted the &ldquo;fluid regional environment shaped by heightened geopolitical competition, cross-border terrorism, and hybrid threats.&rdquo; Despite complex challenges including &ldquo;externally supported militancy and information-centric warfare,&rdquo; Pakistan&rsquo;s armed forces, intelligence agencies, and law-enforcement institutions continue to demonstrate unwavering professionalism and resolve to safeguard national security,&rdquo; the ISPR quoted him as saying. Participants were also briefed on ongoing &ldquo;national efforts against illegal activities, including the crackdown on smuggling, narcotics trafficking, and organized criminal networks that adversely impact security.&rdquo; Updates were shared on enhanced border controls and the repatriation of illegal foreigners to maintain internal order and protect national interests. Field Marshal Munir reiterated that the &ldquo;territorial integrity, security and protection of every Pakistani citizen is paramount for the Pakistan Army and will not be compromised under any circumstances.&rdquo; He reaffirmed the army&rsquo;s commitment to supporting federal and provincial governments. &ldquo;Coordinated national efforts and institutional synergy are vital for lasting peace, stability and prosperity,&rdquo; ISPR quoted him as saying. The National Security Workshop, run by the National Defence University, brings together parliamentarians, senior civil and military officials, academics, and representatives from civil society.

Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir addresses participants of National Security Workshop–27 (NSW–27) at the General Headquarters (GHQ) on November 26. — (ISPR)

Says success earned during Marka-e-Haq 'enhanced the global stature of Pakistan; crackdown on smuggling, narcotics trafficking, and organized criminal networks that adversely impact security continuing.

Articles tagged with "Marka e haq"

Pakistan issues tit-for-tat warning after Indian defense minister remarks

Field Marshal Munir hails armed forces for defeating India