 "Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif. File Image/Reuters")
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khwaja Asif has raised an alarm, warning that Islamabad needs to prepare itself for an “all-out war” with India, adding that the country needs to “fully alert” for such a possibility.
Asserting that Pakistan has been put under “maximum alert for any border incursion,” Asif told Samaa TV, “We cannot ignore (India) in any way… We are not ignoring India, and our preparation and alert are at maximum. We cannot trust India in any way. We cannot rule out (attack) as India can directly intervene. It can continue attacks from there (presumably Afghanistan) and it can go for an all-out war as per its strategy.”
The defence minister has time and again claimed that Pakistan is fighting a “two-front” war with India, referring to the country’s border with India and Afghanistan. Islamabad says that New Delhi has been launching attacks on Pakistan from Afghan soil, a claim that has been rejected by India.
The Defence Minister stated that India might carry out border incursions or attacks, urging Islamabad to remain on high alert. He also asserted that India does not want Pakistan and Afghanistan to resolve their issues, according to Samaa TV.
‘Op Sindoor was just a trailer’
Asif’s comments came after India’s Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi said that Operation Sindoor was “just a trailer” , cautioning that India would teach its neighbour “how to behave responsibly” if it continued supporting cross-border terrorism.
Speaking at the Chanakya Defence Dialogue, earlier this week, he said, “Operation Sindoor was just a trailer that ended in 88 hours. We are prepared for any circumstances in the future. If Pakistan gives a chance, we will teach it how to behave responsibly with a neighbouring nation.”
The army chief stated that 31 terrorists had been killed during the operation, 61 per cent of whom were from Pakistan. He added that there had been just one recruitment and that individual had been caught. Without naming the nation directly, he said it remained concerning when a country “encourages state-sponsored terrorism”.