Islamabad [Pakistan], October 18 : Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir once again resorted to Anti-India rhetoric even as his troops received several setbacks in an ongoing conflict with the Taliban. Addressing a passing out parade at the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) in Kakul Munir said that there was "no space for war in a nuclearised environment," reported Dawn.
Munir, whose forces lost several of the key air bases in their short conflict with India in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor claimed that Pakistan would not be intimidated.
"We will never be intimidated nor coerced by your rhetoric and shall respond decisively, beyond proportions, to even a minor provocation without any qualms. The onus of ensuing escalations, one that may ultimately bear catastrophic consequences for the entire region and beyond, will squarely lie with India," Munir said, in an attempt to obfuscate the fact that it was his DGMO that had sought a ceasefire after being pounded by Indian strikes.
"Should a fresh wave of hostilities be triggered, Pakistan would respond much beyond the expectations of the initiators," Munir said.
During Operation Sindoor the Indian Air Force destroyed 12-13 of Pakistan's combat aircraft, including four to five F-16s on ground and five F-16s and JF-17s in the air along with two spy planes. The IAF also cratered several Pakistani airbases, damaging radars, command centres, runways, hangars, and a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system. Faced by this, Munir chose rhetoric to hide facts.
"With diminishing distinctions between conflict and communication zones, the reach and lethality of our weapon systems will shatter the misconceived immunity of India's geographic war-space. The deeply hurting retributive military and economic losses inflicted will be much beyond the imagination and calculation of the perpetrators of chaos and instability," he said.
India carried out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoJK in May this year in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack which killed 26 civilians. The Indian Armed Forces effectively repulsed the subsequent Pakistani aggression and pounded its airbases while downing several of its planes.