Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday said that India would be “relegated to history” and its geography “changed” if it attempted any future misadventure against Pakistan.
In an interview on the Geo News programme ‘Capital Talk’, Asif said, “As a nation, India thinks that its esteem has been damaged.”
The defence minister was referring to last year’s confrontation with India, beginning with the April 22 Pahalgam attack and the subsequent military conflict — which resulted in a resounding victory for Pakistan — until the ceasefire on May 10.
Reflecting on last year’s standoff with India, Asif said that Pakistan’s armed forces had given India a “devastating” response.
“If India attempts any misadventure against Pakistan, it would be relegated to history and its geography would be changed,” the defence minister asserted.
The defence minister also criticised the recent remarks made by Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, in which he said that Pakistan had “to decide whether they want to be part of geography or history or not”.
“By making those kinds of remarks, the Indian army chief is trying to regain his lost respect,” Asif maintained, adding that during Marka-i-Haq, India was significantly battered.
Asif also commented on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) secretary general’s remarks, calling for keeping the window for dialogue between Islamabad and New Delhi open.
“There are also various critical voices against the government in India,” he said, adding that the stance of the Indian army and civil society differs.
He said that Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, which India had considered its “extension,” did not enjoy the same relationship with it as before. “India is now facing embarrassment on the foreign front,” he added.
Meanwhile, he said that Pakistan had achieved “a highly reputable status” in the region.
While responding to a question about a possible nexus between India and Israel against Pakistan, the defence minister said that there could be a resemblance in the objectives of India and Israel.
“Israel doesn’t want anyone more powerful in this region other than its partner, India.”
Asif added that the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) between Pakistan and India had been in place for 66 years and the recent Permanent Court of Arbitration decision on the IWT was in Pakistan’s favour.
Moreover, he elaborated that the agreement had a strong mechanism for dispute resolution and could not be suspended unilaterally.
‘War will not return to Iran’
Responding to a question about whether the United States and Israel would launch attacks against Iran again, he said, “My hunch is that war will not happen again.”
He said that Israel desperately wanted attacks to be launched against Iran or perhaps two or three other countries.
“The American public’s opinion is very clear about the Iran war. Their public does not want America to fight Israel’s war,” he said, adding that wars cannot be fought without public support.
“Relationship with America is the real strength of Israel. Without America’s support, Israel cannot remain stable.”
He said that a superpower like the US showing trust in Pakistan was an achievement, adding that Iran also trusts Pakistan.
The defence minister also said that Pakistan’s brotherly countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, China and Russia, do not want war to return to Iran.
‘Absolutely not’
The defence minister also rejected the impression that the 28th constitutional amendment had been tabled before the cabinet, dismissing the reports and saying, “Absolutely not.”
He added that Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar had also dismissed any discussions related to a constitutional amendment in the near future.
“There is nothing in my knowledge about any discussion related to this amendment,” he said.
‘India achieved certain gains in Afghanistan’
Asif said that during his recent meetings with Afghanistan’s Defence Minister Mullah Yaqoob, he told him that in the past Afghanistan’s enemy was also Pakistan’s enemy, and asked why Pakistan’s enemies were not considered Afghanistan’s enemies now.
“If you cannot be an enemy of our enemies, at least do not be friends with them. Do not provide them shelter or give them arms,” he said.
In response to a question, he said that he agreed that India had achieved certain gains in Afghanistan.
“Afghanistan is acting as a proxy for India against Pakistan,” he said.
A day earlier, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) took exception to the Indian army chief’s recent provocative remarks and cautioned New Delhi against pushing South Asia towards another conflict with “devastating” consequences for the region.
“Indian COAS gave a provocative statement during a recent interview that ‘Pakistan should decide if it desired to be part of geography and history’,” ISPR noted in a statement issued in response to Indian Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi’s comments made a day earlier.
“Contrary to the delusional and hallucinational belief system and despite the omnipresent ill wishes that prevail in Hindutva-led India, Pakistan is already a country of consequence at global level, a declared nuclear power and an indelible part of South Asia’s geography and history,” the ISPR said.
“Threatening a sovereign nuclear neighbour with elimination from ‘geography’ is not strategic signalling or brinkmanship; it is sheer bankruptcy of cognitive capacities, madness and warmongering despite knowing the reality that such geographic obliteration would certainly be mutual and comprehensive,” the ISPR warned.