COAS Gen Asim Munir addresses troops during a visit to the Tilla Field Firing Ranges near Jhelum, Punjab on May 1. PHOTO: ISPR/DAWN
ISLAMABAD – Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir on Thursday warned that any “misadventure” by India, amid fraught tensions with Pakistan that has seen continued shelling across the Line of Control after a militant attack in occupied Kashmir last week, would be met with a quick and decisive response.
The April 22 attack in Pahalgam killed 26 people, mostly tourists, marking one of the deadliest assaults in the region since 2000. India has implied cross-border links without evidence, while Pakistan has rejected the accusation and called for a neutral probe.
Tensions have since spiked, with Pakistan reinforcing its forces and India’s premier granting “operational freedom” to his military. As Pakistan, in the early hours of Wednesday, said it expected an incursion from India within the next 24-36 hours, diplomatic channels from other countries have been engaged to prevent a possible military confrontation.
A press release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said COAS Munir visited the Tilla Field Firing Ranges in Jhelum to witness “Exercise Hammer Strike”, a high-intensity, field training exercise conducted by the military’s Mangla Strike Corps.
Addressing the troops amid the exercise, the ISPR said the army chief reaffirmed the military’s “unyielding resolve” to defend the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity at all costs.
“Let there be no ambiguity: any military misadventure by India will be met with a swift, resolute, and notch-up response. While Pakistan remains committed to regional peace, our preparedness and resolve to safeguard national interests is absolute,” he was quoted as saying by the ISPR.
It said the COAS lauded the “high morale, combat proficiency, and warfighting spirit” of the officers and troops, terming them the “embodiment of Pakistan Army’s operational excellence”. Senior military leadership, formation commanders and dignitaries from various services also witnessed the exercise.
“Exercise Hammer Strike stands as a testament to Pakistan Army’s pursuit of continuous transformation through rigorous training, doctrinal innovation, and technological modernisation,” the ISPR said.
It added that the exercise was meticulously designed to validate combat readiness, battlefield synergy and the 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.
The ISPR said troops from all arms and services demonstrated “exceptional tactical cohesion, agility, and lethality during synchronised offensive manoeuvres — reflecting an extraordinary level of training and professionalism.
“Notably, the exercise showcased Pakistan Army’s increasing absorption of niche and emerging technologies to augment its kinetic and non-kinetic operational capabilities.”
A day ago, Pakistani officials had said the country would exercise restraint in the face of heightened tensions with India but warned it would respond “strongly” and “decisively” if attacked, invoking its right to self-defence under international law.
“Pakistan will not be the first one to resort to any escalatory move; however, in case of any escalatory move by the Indian side, we will respond very strongly,” Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had said during a joint media briefing with military and Foreign Office spokespersons.
Dar said a similar message had been communicated to the international partners. “Any misadventure will be responded to in a befitting and decisive manner at the time and place of our choosing.”
“Our response would be befitting, decisive and assured,” ISPR Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry had said. “We are ready for all eventualities. If they choose military confrontation, that would be their choice, but we would then determine its (conflict’s) future direction.”
Gen Chaudhry emphasised that Pakistan’s armed forces were fully capable and prepared to defend the country across all domains. “We are vigilant and our response and counter-measures would be appropriate and decisive,” he said.
President, PM discuss security situation
Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday called on President Asif Ali Zardari to discuss the current security situation.
A statement from the President House said the two leaders expressed deep concern over India’s “belligerent attitude and provocative statements, which posed a threat to regional peace and stability”. They reaffirmed that Pakistan would never compromise on the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, and would respond to any act of aggression in a “befitting manner”.
They stated that the Pakistani nation was united and stood behind its military which was capable of responding to any threat or aggression. They also reviewed Pakistan’s response to India’s “belligerent posture and any possible acts of aggression”.
The two also expressed regret over the Indian leadership’s accusations regarding the Pahalgam attack, noting that they were made without any investigation. It was highlighted in their talks that Pakistan had been a victim of terrorism, suffering immense human and economic losses for over two decades.
They said that the international community should take note of India’s involvement in funding, training and sending militants into Pakistan to carry out terrorist activities.
The statement said President Zardari commended the government’s response to Indian baseless accusations and handling of the situation in a responsible manner. He reaffirmed that Pakistan would take all necessary steps to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and vital national interests at all costs.
The two also highlighted the urgency of implementing United Nations Security Council resolutions to grant the Kashmiri people their right to self-determination, noting it would help bring lasting peace and stability to the region.
PM Shehbaz also enquired after the president’s health after his recovery from Covid-19.
FM Dar and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar were also present during the meeting.
Pakistan Army continues exercises as troops trade fire
Meanwhile, state-run Radio Pakistan shared a video, dated April 30 and dubbed with a patriotic song, showing the Pakistan Army conducting several exercises.
“Pakistan Army is continuing war exercises with full vigour,” the report said. It quoted security sources as saying the exercises included a “practical demonstration of modern weaponry in view of war strategy”.
According to security sources, the exercises included “practical demonstrations of modern weaponry in view of war strategy”. The sources said the primary objective of the war exercises was to deliver a strong and decisive response to any aggression from the enemy.
They emphasised that the Pakistan Army remained fully prepared at all times to give a crushing reply to any hostile action.
“Officers and soldiers are actively showcasing their professional capabilities during the drills,” Radio Pakistan stated.
Similarly, Radio Pakistan also shared a video showcasing the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) military prowess and capabilities, including the JF-17 Block III that other countries have also bought from Pakistan.
“PAF remains steadfast to defend [the] aerial frontiers of Pakistan,” the video captions said.
Radio Pakistan reported that the PAF “fully prepared and determined to deliver a crushing response to any aggression”.
Noting that the PAF was equipped with the latest fighter jets, the report said the air force had “always fulfilled its professional responsibilities with utmost efficiency and dedication for the integrity of Pakistan”.
“The PAF is renowned worldwide for its technical expertise and courageous reputation,” it added.
The Pakistan Navy has also released a video, titled ‘Ready at all times’, featuring Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf.
“You must be battle-ready. The time has come to utilise our capabilities effectively,” Admiral Ashraf tells his troops in the video, which shows clips of various naval exercises.
“You get few opportunities to prove yourself. Our nation has a lot of expectations of us. We have to deliver, and deliver to the best possible efficiency before the enemy,” the naval chief says.
India’s navy today issued warnings for several firing drills in the Arabian Sea off the coasts of Maharashtra and Gujarat states. Gujarat shares a border with Pakistan.
The navy did not respond to a Reuters request for comment on the warnings.
As tensions remain high, both countries’ troops reportedly exchanged small arms fire along the Line of Control (LoC) in AJK for the seventh night since April 25, Reuters said.
While there was no comment from Pakistan today, state media yesterday reported that the Pakistan Army responded to overnight unprovoked Indian firing on the LoC. No casualties have been reported so far.
‘They want to rob our water’: PPP’s Bilawal
Addressing a rally in Mirphurkhas on Thursday, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari accused the Indian PM of targeting the Indus, warning him that the people of Sindh would respond to any moves to strangle the river.
“Someone is robbing the [water of the] Indus once again — his name is Modi, the butcher of Gujarat,” Bilawal said, calling on PPP supporters to raise their voices to protect the Indus River on the international stage.
“We will raise our voices and protect our river from Modi,” he added.
Recounting his time as foreign minister, the Bhutto scion said that he raised the issue of India trying to reject the Indus Water Treaty on the international stage in the past.
“I protected the Indus as foreign minister,” he said. “After the attack in [occupied] Kashmir, they announced that they reject the Indus Waters Treaty. We reject their decision.
“We told them in Sukkur that they should understand that Pakistan is a peaceful country and Islam is a peaceful religion, we don’t want war,” he added.
However, Bilawal warned that if anyone attacks “our Indus River”, then it would be treated as an act of war.
“The Indus is more than just a river; it is our history and our culture,” he stated, adding that the river birthed the Indus Valley Civilisation 3,000 years ago.
“India’s culture is also linked with the river; they love the Indus for this reason,” he added. “We will not give their PM the opportunity to choke the Indus and we do not want war, but we are ready to fight until the end.
“If he targets our water, he will see whether the Indus flows with water or blood,” Bilawal warned.
US reiterates ‘responsible resolution’ of crisis
Fielding questions at a press briefing on Thursday, US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce reiterated the United States’ request for Pakistan and India to resolve the crisis responsibly.
Questioned about US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s call to PM Shehbaz and Indian Foreign Minister Subhramanyam Jaishankar, Bruce said the situation “continues to evolve” and that the US is monitoring the situation closely.
“As the president articulated to Prime Minister Modi last week, the United States stands strong with India against terrorism and … Modi has our full support,” she said, “The secretary encouraged both countries to work towards a … responsible resolution that maintains long-term peace and stability in South Asia.
“We continue to be in touch with the governments of both countries … at multiple levels,” she responded.
Answering a follow-up question, Bruce said that there is “constant involvement … communication” and that the US is asking for a responsible resolution from both countries.
Asia News Network/Dawn
