STAFF REPORTER
RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Army on Wednesday vowed a “swift and destructive response” to any act of Indian aggression, as top military leadership cautioned that New Delhi’s provocative rhetoric risked destabilising regional peace. The resolve came during the 272nd Corps Commanders’ Conference (CCC) held at the General Headquarters (GHQ), chaired by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir, the InterServices Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. The forum expressed grave concern over “irresponsible and unwarranted statements” by India’s political and military leadership, calling them part of a pattern of “whipping up war hysteria for political gain.”“The forum pledged to counter any Indian aggression with a swift and decisive response, shattering any perceived notion of India’s relative safety accruing from geography,” the statement said. “Any imaginary new normal will be met with a new normal of swift retributive response.” The conference also reviewed Pakistan’s counterterrorism operations, ongoing security threats, and overall operational readiness. The participants reaffirmed the army’s commitment to neutralising Indian-sponsored terror proxies such as Fitna Al-Khawarij and Fitna Al-Hindustan, and vowed to dismantle networks undermining the state’s security. “The existing nexus between terror and crime with vested political patronage which is gravely hurting the interests of the State and security of its people, will not be allowed to continue anymore, come what may,” it added. The remarks came after provocative remarks by Indian military officials amid heightened tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi in the backdrop of a fourday armed conflict in May this year. On October 3, Indian Air Force Chief Amar Preet Singh claimed that India downed five Pakistani fighter jets of the F-16 and JF-17 class during the intense fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours in May. “As far as air defence part is concerned, we have evidence of one long range strike…along with that five fighters, hightech fighters between F-16 and JF-17 class, our system tells us,” Singh told reporters at the Indian Air Force annual day press conference. However, he did not provide any evidence to back his claim. The May fighting, the worst between the old foes in decades, was sparked by a terrorist attack on tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s (IIOJK) Pahalgam area, which New Delhi said was backed by Pakistan.
