Asif tells Rajnath Singh war between nuclear states has drastic consequences

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday told his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh that any notion of war between two nuclear-armed countries was untenable and carried severe consequences.

Asif’s remarks came after Singh recently warned Pakistan against any attempted misadventure under the shadow of the ongoing Middle East war, according to Indian media. In a post on X, Asif did not mention Singh’s statement directly but tagged the Indian defence minister in his response.

In the post, Asif said:

Repeated rhetoric reflects not strength, but visible strategic anxiety as the anniversary of the staged false flag operation in Pahalgam approaches — an episode that failed to withstand international scrutiny and exposed New Delhi’s reliance on manufactured crises.

He added:

Such threat-mongering is not new; it is part of a predictable pattern — externalising internal fragility, and attempting to provoke escalation under the garb of unsubstantiated allegations for vested political interests,

The Pahalgam incident took place on April 22 last year, when tourists were attacked in India-occupied Kashmir. India linked the attack to Pakistan without presenting evidence, triggering a brief military escalation between the two countries last year. Pakistan rejected any involvement and called for a neutral investigation.

The Pakistan Army later described the period from the April 22 Pahalgam attack to the May 10 conclusion of Operation Bunyanum Marsoos as Marka-i-Haq, or battle of the truth.

Warning against miscalculation

Referring to that period, Asif said history showed that misjudgment had consequences.

He said:

Marka-i-Haq remains fresh in our minds. The next time our response will be even more forceful and decisive,

Asif also said Pakistan remained committed to peace and stability in the region, while making clear that the country was prepared to defend its sovereignty.

He stated:

Let there be no ambiguity: Pakistan remains committed to peace and regional stability, but its resolve to defend sovereignty is absolute, its preparedness complete, and its response will be swift, calibrated, and decisive.

Addressing Singh directly, the defence minister said:

Let me remind Rajnath Singh that the illusion of space for war between two nuclear states is inconceivable and has drastic consequences.

He further said:

India would be better served by confronting the growing unease within its own strategic and diplomatic space,

The exchange comes against the backdrop of tensions linked to the Pahalgam attack and the subsequent military escalation between Pakistan and India last year.