Pakistan Army chief warns India of 'decisive response' to any provocation
Islamabad (PTI): In a sharp escalation of rhetoric, Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on Saturday warned India of a “decisive response” to even a minor provocation, saying there is no space for war in a "nuclearised environment”.
Munir was addressing a graduation ceremony of passing out army cadets at the premier Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) Kakul at Abbottabad in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“I advise and firmly caution India's military leadership that there is no space for war in a nuclearised environment,” he said.
“We will never be intimidated, not coerced by rhetoric and will respond decisively to even a minor provocation without any qualms,” the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) said.
Referring to the recent military conflict between India and Pakistan, Munir claimed that his country's armed forces had demonstrated “remarkable professionalism” and "far-reaching capabilities" by "neutralising" all threats and emerged "victorious" against a "numerically superior adversary".
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.
India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes, following direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two militaries.
Munir also alleged India of using terrorism as a weapon to destabilise Pakistan, saying a handful of terrorists cannot harm Pakistan and warned that all "proxies" using Afghan soil would be "raised to dust”, in an apparent reference to Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The Army chief also urged India to settle "core issues" as per international norms, an apparent reference to the Kashmir dispute, while reiterating Pakistan’s commitment to provide “moral and diplomatic support” to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Describing Pakistan as a peace-loving country, Munir said it enjoyed strong relations with major powers, including the US and China.
At the ceremony, cadets from several friendly countries, including Malaysia, Nepal, Palestine, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Yemen, Mali, Maldives and Nigeria, also graduated.
Munir congratulated them and lauded the PMA’s role as a “cornerstone of military excellence and international camaraderie”.
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Trump says he ‘hasn’t even thought about’ continuing Iran ceasefire
Washington: US President Donald Trump has said he has not yet considered whether he would continue the ceasefire involving Iran, while also claiming the United States holds the advantage in negotiations.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said he was prepared to make a deal with “whoever is running the show” in Iran.
“They are fighting with each other, there’s tremendous infighting. They’re probably fighting for leadership in many cases. I think they’re fighting not to be leader because we knocked out two levels of leaders,” he said.
Trump added, “When they want they can call me. We have all the cards, we’ve won everything.”
Referring to ongoing negotiations, he said, “They gave us a paper that should’ve been better. And, interestingly, immediately when I cancelled it [envoy trip to Pakistan], within 10 minutes we got a new paper that was much better.”
“We talked about they will not have a nuclear weapon, very simple … They offered a lot, but not enough,” he added.
When asked whether he would continue the ceasefire, Trump replied, “I haven’t even thought about it.”
The remarks come as uncertainty remains over the future of the temporary truce and broader negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
