ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, on Sunday vehemently rejected recent aggressive statements from India’s military and political establishment, terming them a “failed attempt” to restore their “lost reputation.” His remarks are the latest salvo in a spiralling cycle of cross-border rhetoric between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
Writing on X, Asif claimed that the Indian statements came under pressure following a “decisive defeat with a score of 6-0” during a four-day military escalation in May, an incident in which Islamabad claims to have shot down at least six Indian jets.
“The statements made by the Indian army and its political leadership are a failed attempt to restore its lost reputation,” Asif stated, linking the aggressive posture to domestic political discontent in India. “The way the public opinion in India turned against the government after the worst defeat in history, and the way [Indian Prime Minister Narendra] Modi and his group have lost their reputation, it is apparent from their statements that they [are feeling] the pressure.”
He offered a stark warning: “If they try again [to go to fight], God willing, the score will be much better than the last time… This time, God willing, India will get buried under the rubble of its own jets.”
The Preceding Military Warning
Asif’s comments follow a severe caution issued by the Pakistani military the previous day. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) had warned that any future conflict with India could lead to “cataclysmic devastation” and stressed that Pakistan would “resolutely respond, without any qualms or restraint.”
The military’s statement was a direct response to a barrage of provocative remarks from top Indian leadership, which included the Indian Army Chief’s warning that Pakistan must stop “state-sponsored terrorism” if it wished to “retain its place on the map.” India has consistently accused Pakistan of cross-border terrorism, an allegation Islamabad has repeatedly refuted as baseless.
The ISPR noted with “grave concern” the “delusional, provocative and jingoistic statements” coming from the highest levels in New Delhi, concluding that such “irresponsible statements” suggest a “renewed attempt at fabricating arbitrary pretexts for aggression.”
Context of May Conflict
The current verbal escalation is rooted in the May conflict, the worst between the rivals in decades, which was sparked by an attack on Hindu tourists in occupied Kashmir. New Delhi had, without providing evidence, blamed Pakistan, a charge Islamabad denied.
The four-day confrontation saw both sides deploy fighter jets, missiles, and artillery. While Pakistan claimed to have taken down six Indian jets, including the French-made Rafale, New Delhi acknowledged “some losses” but denied the higher figure.
The recent tension is further underscored by Pakistan’s establishment of the Army Rocket Force Command in August, tasked with building a long-range conventional strike capability to hit deep targets without resorting to the nuclear trigger. This strategic move highlights the military’s lessons learned from the May conflict, in which the Pakistan Air Force’s early successes were critical in tipping the balance.
