Any military misadventure by India will be met with swift, resolute, notch-up response: COAS | تازہ ترین پاکستان کی خبریں

Any military misadventure by India will be met with swift, resolute, notch-up response: COAS — Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir on Thursday warned that any “misadventure” by India, amid fraught tensions with Pakistan that has seen c...

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir on Thursday warned that any “misadventure” by India, amid fraught tensions with Pakistan that has seen continued shelling across the Line of Control after a militant attack in occupied Kashmir last week, would be met with a quick and decisive response.

TheApril 22 attackin Pahalgam killed26 people, mostly tourists, marking one of the deadliest assaults in the region since 2000. India has implied cross-border links without evidence, while Pakistan hasrejectedthe accusation and called for aneutral probe.

Tensions have since spiked, with Pakistanreinforcing its forcesand India’s premier granting“operational freedom”to his military. As Pakistan, in the early hours of Wednesday, said itexpectedan incursion from India within the next 24-36 hours,diplomatic channelsfrom other countries have been engaged to prevent a possible military confrontation.

Apress releaseissued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said COAS Munir visited the Tilla Field Firing Ranges in Jhelum to witness “Exercise Hammer Strike”, a high-intensity, field training exercise conducted by the military’s Mangla Strike Corps.

Addressing the troops amid the exercise, the ISPR said the army chief reaffirmed the military’s “unyielding resolve” to defend the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity at all costs.

“Let there be no ambiguity: any military misadventure by India will be met with a swift, resolute, and notch-up response. While Pakistan remains committed to regional peace, our preparedness and resolve to safeguard national interests is absolute,” he was quoted as saying by the ISPR.

It said the COAS lauded the “high morale, combat proficiency, and warfighting spirit” of the officers and troops, terming them the “embodiment of Pakistan Army’s operational excellence”. Senior military leadership, formation commanders and dignitaries from various services also witnessed the exercise.

“Exercise Hammer Strike stands as a testament to Pakistan Army’s pursuit of continuous transformation through rigorous training, doctrinal innovation, and technological modernisation,” the ISPR said.

It added that the exercise was meticulously designed to validate combat readiness, battlefield synergy and the operational integration of cutting-edge weapon systems under near-battlefield conditions. A diverse array of advanced capabilities, including multirole fighter aircraft, combat aviation assets, long-range precision artillery, and next-generation field engineering techniques, were employed to simulate conventional battlefield scenarios.

The ISPR said troops from all arms and services demonstrated “exceptional tactical cohesion, agility, and lethality during synchronised offensive manoeuvres — reflecting an extraordinary level of training and professionalism.

“Notably, the exercise showcased Pakistan Army’s increasing absorption of niche and emerging technologies to augment its kinetic and non-kinetic operational capabilities.”

A day ago, Pakistani officials had said the country would exercise restraint in the face of heightened tensions with India but warned it wouldrespond “strongly” and “decisively”if attacked, invoking its right to self-defence under international law.

“Pakistan will not be the first one to resort to any escalatory move; however, in case of any escalatory move by the Indian side, we will respond very strongly,” Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had said during a joint media briefing with military and Foreign Office spokespersons.

Dar said a similar message had been communicated to the international partners. “Any misadventure will be responded to in a befitting and decisive manner at the time and place of our choosing.”

“Our response would be befitting, decisive and assured,” ISPR Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry had said. “We are ready for all eventualities. If they choose military confrontation, that would be their choice, but we would then determine its (conflict’s) future direction.”

Gen Chaudhry emphasised that Pakistan’s armed forces were fully capable and prepared to defend the country across all domains. “We are vigilant and our response and counter-measures would be appropriate and decisive,” he said.

Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Thursday called on President Asif Ali Zardari and discussed the current security situation.

A statement from the President House said the two leaders expressed deep concern over India’s “belligerent attitude and provocative statements, which posed a threat to regional peace and stability”. They reaffirmed that Pakistan would never compromise on the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, and would respond to any act of aggression in a “befitting manner”.

They stated that the Pakistani nation was united and stood behind its military which was capable of responding to any threat or aggression. They also reviewed Pakistan’s response to India’s “belligerent posture and any possible acts of aggression”.

The two also expressed regret over the Indian leadership’s accusations regarding the Pahalgam attack, noting that they were made without any investigation. It was highlighted in their talks that Pakistan had been a victim of terrorism, suffering immense human and economic losses for over two decades.

They said that the international community should take note of India’s involvement in funding, training and sending militants into Pakistan to carry out terrorist activities.

The statement said President Zardari commended the government’s response to Indian baseless accusations and handling of the situation in a responsible manner. He reaffirmed that Pakistan would take all necessary steps to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and vital national interests at all costs.

The two also highlighted the urgency of implementing United Nations Security Council resolutions to grant the Kashmiri people their right to self-determination, noting it would help bring lasting peace and stability to the region.

PM Shehbaz also enquired after the president’s health after his recovery fromCovid-19.

FM Dar and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar were also present during the meeting.

Additional reporting by Nadir Guramani.