Pakistan’s military spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has declared that Pakistan will respond "mercilessly" to any aggression from India, warning New Delhi against escalating tensions in the region.
Speaking to Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency, the Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) dismissed Indian accusations linking Pakistan to the recent attack in Pahalgam, asserting that India’s use of such incidents for political mileage is both baseless and dangerous.
“India is not Israel, nor is Pakistan Palestine,” he said, rejecting any comparisons and cautioning that South Asia is not a playground for military adventurism. “We are not a nation that will bow down to threats, aggression, or hooliganism,” he added.
Accusations against India
The ISPR DGemphasized that terrorism, extremism, and hatred are India's internal issues. He criticized the Indian government for repressing its minorities, particularly Muslims and Sikhs, stating that such oppression only fuels anger and radicalism.
Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif said India of being a “state sponsor of terrorism” in the region. He claimed that New Delhi’s intelligence agencies have been providing training and financial support to terrorist groups operating in Pakistan.
Citing the recent attack on the Jaffar Express in Balochistan, in which over 20 civilians lost their lives, he said that the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) had openly sought military assistance from India. He added that prominent Indian politicians, including retired military officers, had publicly endorsed such militant outfits.
“We have undeniable evidence of India’s involvement in terrorism inside Pakistan,” he said, noting that such evidence has been submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Pakistan: Victim of terrorism
ISPR DG stated that Pakistan remains one of the worst victims of terrorism globally. Since January 2024, he said, the country has faced over 3,700 terrorist incidents, resulting in 1,314 deaths and more than 2,500 injuries — some leading to permanent disabilities.
He stressed that Pakistan has carried out multiple successful counter-terrorism operations in recent years, many targeting groups allegedly backed by India.
On Kashmir and regional stability
Addressing the situation in Kashmir, the ISPR DG reiterated Pakistan’s stance that Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed territory that must be resolved under United Nations Security Council resolutions. He criticized India for changing the demographic structure of the region and violating the human rights of Kashmiris.
“The Pahalgam attack is India's internal matter,” he said. “What is happening in Kashmir is due to the Indian government's own policies and brutality.”
He also linked India's current aggressive posture to the 2019 Pulwama incident, after which New Delhi revoked Kashmir’s special status — a move widely criticized both regionally and internationally.
India’s Political Use of Conflict
The military spokesperson claimed that India’s recent belligerence towards Pakistan is aimed at distracting from its internal failures and to provide “breathing space” for proxies operating in Pakistan's western border regions.
He further alleged that India's attempts to destabilize Pakistan are partly driven by Islamabad’s progress in counter-terrorism and improving economic indicators.
“India wants to stop our march towards peace and stability,” he said.
War between nuclear states ‘mutual destruction’
While Pakistan adheres to the May 10 ceasefire agreement, any provocation, the DG ISPR warned, would be met with a swift and decisive response. “We want peace, but peace cannot come at the cost of our sovereignty,” he stated.
He also addressed the dangers of escalation between two nuclear-armed nations, calling such a scenario "mutually destructive" and "foolish."
Downed Indian aircraft
In an unprecedented revelation, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif claimed that six Indian aircraft, including three Rafale jets, were shot down in the recent conflict. He said one Pakistani aircraft sustained minor damage but would be operational soon.
“We know the names of Indian pilots, the hospitals they’re in, and even the beds they’re lying in,” he said, adding that India is hiding facts from its public.
Ending on a resolute note, the DG ISPR reiterated that Pakistan seeks peace but not at the cost of its dignity or security.
“We are not Afghanistan, and India is not the United States. Let there be no confusion — if provoked, we will respond mercilessly.”
