‘Chances of war with India real’, warns Pakistan's defence minister
Khawaja Asif asserts Pak will have an edge over India this time; claims Islamabad has gained allies since May conflict, while India has lost support of existing allies
Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that the country is on its guard as the “chances of war with India are real” while claiming that Pakistan will achieve a bigger success in the event of an armed conflict in the future.
According to PTI, Asif made the remarks in an interview with Samaa TV on Tuesday (October 7), where the anchor asked him about the recent statements by the Indian political and military leaders.
‘Risks are real’
The minister said that there was a threat of armed confrontation and Pakistan was keeping its guard and watching the situation.
“Chances of war with India are real," Asif said in response to a question.
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He added that Pakistan would likely achieve more favourable results in the event of a war with India.
"I do not want escalation, but the risks are real, and I am not denying that. If it comes to war, God willing, we will achieve a better result than before," Asif said.
‘India has lost allies’
He said that Pakistan has more supporters and allies than it had six months ago, while claiming that India had even lost the support of the countries that were on its side before the May conflict. He ,however, didn’t name any countries.
Asif also claimed that India was never a united nation, except briefly under Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, and that Pakistan was created in the name of Allah and stood united during the May confrontation despite several internal issues.
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"At home, we argue and compete. In a fight with India, we come together," he said.
India’s warning to Pakistan
His remarks come just days after he made similar threats following statements from Indian Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi, who warned Pakistan to stop backing state-sponsored terrorism if it wants to exist on the world map.
Separately, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh on Friday said at least a dozen Pakistani military aircraft, including US-origin F-16 jets, were destroyed or damaged in Indian strikes during Operation Sindoor.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, speaking at an event in Hyderabad on Friday, asserted that India can cross any border whenever necessary to protect citizens and safeguard its unity and integrity.
Also read: ‘Deeply ironic’: India blasts Pakistan at UNHRC on human rights
Operation Sindoor
In response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in territories controlled by Pakistan.
The strikes triggered four days of intense clashes that ended with an understanding on stopping the military actions on May 10.
India has been maintaining that Pakistan pleaded for ending the hostilities in May after the Indian military pounded various Pakistani military infrastructure.
(With inputs from agencies)