Islamabad, 18 Oct

In a sharp escalation of rhetoric, Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on Saturday warned India of a “decisive response” to even a minor provocation, saying there is no space for war in a "nuclearised environment”.

Munir was addressing a graduation ceremony of passing out army cadets at the premier Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) Kakul at Abbottabad in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“I advise and firmly caution India's military leadership that there is no space for war in a nuclearised environment,” he said.

“We will never be intimidated, not coerced by rhetoric and will respond decisively to even a minor provocation without any qualms,” the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) said.

Referring to the recent military conflict between India and Pakistan, Munir claimed that his country's armed forces had demonstrated “remarkable professionalism” and "far-reaching capabilities" by "neutralising" all threats and emerged "victorious" against a "numerically superior adversary".

India launched Operation Sindoor on 7 May, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the 22 April Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.

India and Pakistan reached an understanding on 10 May to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes, following direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two militaries.

Munir also blamed India of using terrorism as a weapon to destabilise Pakistan, saying a handful of terrorists cannot harm Pakistan and warned that all "proxies" using Afghan soil would be "raised to dust”, in an apparent reference to Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The Army chief also urged India to settle "core issues" as per international norms, an apparent reference to the Kashmir dispute, while reiterating Pakistan’s commitment to provide “moral and diplomatic support” to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Describing Pakistan as a peace-loving country, Munir said it enjoyed strong relations with major powers, including the US and China.

At the ceremony, cadets from several friendly countries, including Malaysia, Nepal, Palestine, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Yemen, Mali, Maldives and Nigeria, also graduated.

Munir congratulated them and lauded the PMA’s role as a “cornerstone of military excellence and international camaraderie”.