India warns Pakistan of 'painful consequences' amid war rhetoric

India on Thursday (August 14) warned Pakistan of “painful consequences” in case it resorts to any misadventure. New Delhi also asked the neighbouring country to temper its rhetoric, stating that there have been multiple reports of Pakistani leadership’s “warmongering and hateful comments” against India.

‘Anti-India rhetoric’

Speaking to reporters at the Ministry of External Affairs’ (MEA) weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also said that it has become a well-known modus operandi of the Pakistani leadership to whip up anti-India rhetoric time and again to hide their failures.

"We have seen reports regarding a continuing pattern of reckless, war-mongering and hateful comments from Pakistani leadership against India. It is a well-known modus operandi of the Pakistani leadership to whip up anti-India rhetoric time and again to hide their own failures. Pakistan would be well-advised to temper its rhetoric, as any misadventure will have painful consequences, as was demonstrated recently,” he said.

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Trashes Pak’s Court of Arbitration claim

Jaiswal also rubbished Pakistan’s claim of a legal victory at the Court of Arbitration regarding India’s suspension of the Indus Water Treaty following the Pahelgam terror attack that left 26 civilians dead. He said that India has never accepted the legality, legitimacy, or competence of the court, adding that its pronouncements are therefore devoid of legal standing and jurisdiction.

"India has never accepted the legality, legitimacy, or competence of the so-called Court of Arbitration. Its pronouncements are therefore without jurisdiction, devoid of legal standing, and have no bearing on India’s rights of utilisation of waters. India also categorically rejects Pakistan’s selective and misleading references to the so-called ‘award,'” said Jaiswal as quoted by ANI.

“As reiterated in our press release of 27 June 2025, the Indus Waters Treaty stands in abeyance by a sovereign decision of the Government of India, taken in response to Pakistan’s continued sponsorship of cross-border terrorism, including the barbaric Pahalgam attack,” he added.

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Defence ties and Indo-US relationship

As for the India-US defence ties, Jaiswal said that they are an integral part of the bilateral relationship between the two countries.

"The India-U.S. defence partnership, underpinned by foundational defence agreements, is an important pillar of the bilateral partnership. This robust cooperation has strengthened across all domains. We are expecting a U.S. Defence Policy Team to be in Delhi in mid-August,” he said.

“The 21st edition of the joint military exercise - 'Yudh Abhyas' is also expected to take place later this month in Alaska. Both sides remain engaged to convene the 2+2 Intersessional meeting at the working-level towards the end of this month,” he added.

His comments come a day after the US warned of imposing higher tariffs on India for its purchase of Russian oil in case the talks between President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on Friday.

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Pakistan’s nuclear sabre-rattling

His comments come days after Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir's recent nuclear threats made from American soil have prompted strong condemnation from India, with New Delhi dismissing the statements as "nuclear sabre-rattling" and "Pakistan's stock-in-trade".

During his second US visit in two months, Munir addressed a private gathering of the Pakistani diaspora in Tampa, Florida, where he declared that Pakistan would "take half the world down" if faced with an existential threat in a future conflict with India. He specifically threatened to destroy Indian dam infrastructure, stating, "We will wait for India to build a dam, and when they do so, we will destroy it with 10 missiles".

(With agency inputs)