Pakistan and India shift to war of words after shooting stops
Although the air strikes and artillery fire between India and Pakistan have mostly fallen silent, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took aim at his counterpart over the border on Wednesday, accusing Narendra Modi of fanning instability and vowing a harsh response to future attacks.
Sharif spoke at a gathering of soldiers near the border, two days after Modi pledged in a speech to neutralize terrorist camps in Pakistan, calling its May 7 strikes inside Pakistan territory as a "new normal' response.
"Mr. Modi, if you take this route again, you will get a devastating answer,' Sharif said. "If you attack us, you'll lose whatever you have.'
The two South Asian nuclear powers have agreed to a ceasefire after their most serious military confrontation in half a century. Tit-for-tat strikes followed India's operations after militants killed 26 people in the disputed Kashmir region. India has accused Pakistan of involvement, which Islamabad denies.
Sharif said Pakistan's response to India's strikes has diminished Modi's sense of regional "hegemony' and proved his nation's capability to fight a conventional war. Both countries have claimed their offensive and defensive efforts were successful.
Pakistan has said, for instance, that it downed five Indian fighter jets, including three French-made Rafales. India hasn't confirmed the claim, but issued a statement Wednesday detailing its military operations successful.
"We are ready for peace and war. Choice is yours,' Pakistan's Sharif said. "Don't ignite fire. Let it be extinguished. Make this region a home of peace.'
India and Pakistan have a history of bitter relations over the disputed land of Jammu and Kashmir, which they both rule in part but claim in full. The neighbors have fought two wars over it since 1947 and accused each other of sponsoring militancy.
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