Pakistan army chief vows ‘swift, resolute' response to any military action by India
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir on Thursday vowed that any military misadventure by India would be met with a 'swift, resolute' response amid surging tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
These remarks came from Munir while he visited the Tilla Field Firing Ranges (TFFR) near the eastern city of Jhelum to witness 'Exercise Hammer Strike,' a high-intensity field training exercise conducted by Pakistan Army's Mangla Strike Corps. The army continued to hold war exercises on Thursday in a bid to demonstrate its military might to its neighbor.
Pakistan has vowed to give a befitting and 'strong' response to any military action by India as tensions surged after New Delhi blamed Islamabad for being involved in an attack on Indian-administered Kashmir on Apr. 22.
Islamabad has denied involvement in the attack, which killed 26 people and prompted both countries to take several hostile measures against each other. These included India suspending a decades-old water-sharing treaty, suspending visas for Pakistani nationals and declaring its military advisers 'persona non grata.' Pakistan responded with tit-for-tat measures.
'Let there be no ambiguity: any military misadventure by India will be met with a swift, resolute, and notch-up response,' Munir was quoted as saying by Pakistan military's media wing. 'While Pakistan remains committed to regional peace, our preparedness and resolve to safeguard national interests is absolute.'
Munir lauded the high morale, combat proficiency and warfighting spirit of Pakistan's officers and troops at the firing ranges, terming them the 'embodiment of Pakistan Army's operational excellence.'
The military said that the exercise was designed to validate combat readiness, battlefield synergy and operational integration of cutting-edge weapon systems under near-battlefield conditions.
'A diverse array of advanced capabilities, including multirole fighter aircraft, combat aviation assets, long-range precision artillery and next-generation field engineering techniques were employed to simulate conventional battlefield scenarios,' it said.
RUBIO CALLS FOR DE-ESCALATION
Separately, US Secretary of State spoke to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday to discuss the regional situation. As per the US State Department, Rubio urged Islamabad to cooperate in the attack's investigation and de-escalate the situation.
'The Secretary urged Pakistani officials' cooperation in investigating this unconscionable attack,' the State Department said. 'He also encouraged Pakistan to work with India to de-escalate tensions, re-establish direct communications, and maintain peace and security in South Asia.'
According to Sharif's office, the Pakistani premier asked Washington to impress upon India to 'act responsibly' and 'dial down the rhetoric.'
'He [Sharif] categorically rejected Indian attempts to link Pakistan to the incident and pointed to his call for a transparent, credible, and neutral investigation to bring out the facts,' the PMO said.
Rubio also spoke to India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Wednesday, expressing sorrow for the loss of lives in the Apr. 22 attack. He also encouraged India to work with Pakistan to de-escalate tensions and maintain peace and security in South Asia, the State Department said.
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