ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military on Sunday strongly criticized recent remarks by Indian Army Chief Upendra Dwivedi, calling them “provocative” and warning that any attempt to push South Asia toward another conflict would have “devastating” consequences for the entire region.
In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) responded to comments made by the Indian army chief during a recent interview in which he reportedly said Pakistan should decide whether it wanted to remain part of “geography and history.”
Rejecting the remarks, the ISPR said Pakistan was “already a country of consequence at the global level”, describing it as a declared nuclear power and an “indelible part” of South Asia’s geography and history.
The military’s media wing said the statement reflected India’s inability to accept the existence of Pakistan even after more than seven decades since independence.
According to the ISPR, such “hubristic, jingoistic and myopic thinking” had repeatedly pushed South Asia toward wars and crises in the past.
It further said threatening a sovereign nuclear state with elimination from “geography” was not strategic signaling but reflected “bankruptcy of cognitive capacities, madness and warmongering.”
The statement warned that any such conflict would not remain limited in scope, adding that the consequences of any geographic obliteration would be “mutual and comprehensive.”
The ISPR stressed that responsible nuclear powers should demonstrate restraint, maturity and strategic responsibility instead of using the language of “civilizational supremacy or national erasure.”
The military urged the Indian leadership to avoid creating conditions that could trigger another regional crisis, saying any future war would have severe consequences not only for South Asia but beyond.
It also called on India to accept Pakistan’s regional importance and pursue peaceful coexistence.
“Otherwise, any attempt to target Pakistan can trigger consequences that shall neither be geographically confined nor strategically or politically palatable for India,” the statement added.
The ISPR also accused India of ignoring its own record in the region, alleging that New Delhi had been involved in sponsoring terrorism, destabilizing neighboring countries and running global disinformation campaigns.
It added that India’s aggressive rhetoric reflected frustration over its inability to undermine Pakistan, particularly after what it referred to as “Marka-e-Haq,” a reference to last year’s military escalation between the two countries.
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