Rawalpindi, October 4, 2025: The Pakistan Army on Saturday cautioned that “provocative and jingoistic remarks” by senior Indian defence officials could trigger fresh hostilities between the two nuclear-armed neighbours and result in “cataclysmic devastation.”
In a strongly worded statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said India appeared to be manufacturing “arbitrary pretexts for aggression” with remarks that threaten regional stability.
The military’s warning came a day after Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh claimed that India had downed five Pakistani fighter jets — of the F-16 and JF-17 class — during May’s four-day conflict. Singh, however, offered no evidence to support the assertion.
Rejecting the claims, the ISPR accused India of long “masquerading as a victim while stoking violence and perpetrating terrorism in South Asia and beyond.” It said this narrative “stands debunked” as the international community increasingly recognises India as “the true face of cross-border terrorism and the epicentre of regional instability.”
Referring to the May conflict, the military said India’s actions had pushed “two nuclear powers to the brink of a major war.” It reminded Indian leadership of “the wreckage of its fighter jets and the wrath of Pakistan’s long-range vectors,” warning that any renewed escalation would be met with “swift, decisive and destructive” retaliation.
“Those seeking to establish a new normal must realise that Pakistan has already defined its own new normal of response — resolute, uncompromising, and without restraint,” the ISPR said.
It added that Pakistan’s Armed Forces and people “have the capability and resolve to take the fight to every nook and corner of the enemy’s territory, shattering the myth of geographic immunity.”
Responding to Indian rhetoric about erasing Pakistan from the map, the statement cautioned: “India must know that if the situation comes, the erasure will be mutual.”
The ISPR recalled that the May clashes — the worst in decades — were sparked by a terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which killed 26 people. India accused Pakistan of orchestrating the assault, while Islamabad denied involvement.
According to Pakistan, Indian forces then carried out “unprovoked attacks” on civilians, prompting the launch of Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos, during which Pakistani forces downed six IAF fighter jets, including three Rafale aircraft, as well as multiple drones.
The hostilities ended on May 10 after at least 87 hours of fighting, when a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement was reached.
