India has issued a stern warning to Pakistan against indulging in “hateful” and “war-mongering” rhetoric, cautioning that any misadventure would invite “painful consequences”.
The statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday came in the wake of recent nuclear sabre-rattling by Pakistan’s Army Chief, Asim Munir, and provocative remarks by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
“We have seen reports regarding a continuing pattern of reckless, war-mongering and hateful comments from Pakistani leadership against India,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters. “It is 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 added, without elaborating on the specific incident.
Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, speaking from U.S. soil during a Tampa event, reportedly declared, “We are a nuclear nation. If we think we are going down, we’ll take half the world down with us.” He further warned that India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty could have dire humanitarian consequences, stating that should India build a dam, Pakistan would destroy it “with ten missiles,” as it possessed sufficient missile capability
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On the other hand, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, in response to escalating tensions, invoked the notion of water as a battleground, suggesting that Pakistan might “take back all six rivers” if its water rights were infringed.
Reacting sharply, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal condemned the remarks as “typical of Pakistan” and indicative of nuclear sabre-rattling, warning that "any misadventure will have painful consequences"
This sharp response follows a long history of combative exchanges between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. In February 2019, following the Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel, India launched air strikes in Balakot targeting alleged terror training camps. Pakistan responded with retaliatory air action, leading to a tense standoff and the capture, and subsequent release, of Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman. Similar rhetoric has also surfaced during periods of heightened tensions over Kashmir, particularly after India revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in August 2019.
Bilateral relations remain frozen, with New Delhi insisting that Pakistan must take credible action against cross-border terrorism before any meaningful dialogue can resume.
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